Neymar was given a two-match ban for covering his mouth in a Brazilian league match
Brazilian striker Neymar has been handed a two-match ban by the country’s sports court for covering his mouth during a clash with a Bahia player on the pitch.
The incident happened last weekend during Santos’ match against Bahia. A tribunal ruled on Wednesday that Neymar’s conduct breached a protocol known as the ‘Vinicius Law’, named after Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior.
Vinicius accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racial abuse during a Champions League match earlier this year. Prestianni covered his mouth with his shirt during the confrontation.
Neymar will miss a total of three games, with one suspension coming from a yellow card accumulation and the other two from a mouth-covering incident. He will serve the first match against Palmeiras in the Brazilian league on Wednesday and is not expected to return until the end of November.
Neymar and Santos can appeal against the two-match ban.
The 34-year-old suffered a serious injury in 2026 but continued to contribute when available. In the Brazilian Serie A this year, he scored eight goals in 15 games.
Neymar earned a recall to the Brazilian national team after his performances in the first half of the year. However, injuries limited his participation at the World Cup, where he made two substitute appearances and scored a penalty against Norway.
Brazil were eliminated in the round of 16 after losing to their European rivals. After the tournament, Neymar announced that he would not continue his international career, having scored 80 goals in 130 games for Brazil.
“I think my time with the national team is over. I made history there and I’m very happy,” Neymar told reporters. “I experienced a lot there, gave my blood and life and always fought and fought for the yellow jersey. But I think I don’t want it anymore.”
His comments followed an emotional interview with Brazil’s ge TV after leaving the World Cup in which he said: “I tried, I tried. Now it’s over.”
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