Neymar was suspended for two matches on Wednesday for covering his mouth while arguing with an opponent during a Brazilian league game. Brazil's sports tribunal handed down the suspension for the incident involving the former Brazil forward in a Santos game against Bahia last weekend. The Santos star was red-carded for covering his mouth with his hand as he argued with Bahia midfielder Rodrigo Nestor during his team's 1-0 league win.
The tribunal said Neymar's actions violated a protocol named after Vinicius Junior, who earlier this year accused an opponent of racially abusing him while the opponent covered his mouth with his jersey during a Champions League match. Neymar will be out for three matches, the first for an accumulation of yellow cards and the other two for covering his mouth. The 34-year-old will serve his suspension for accumulated yellow cards against Palmeiras in the Brazilian league on Wednesday.
He is not expected to be back in action until late November. Neymar and Santos can appeal the suspension for covering his mouth. Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 80 goals in 130 appearances, Neymar announced his retirement from international soccer following the 2026 World Cup.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing