Neymar was sent off for a deliberate handball in Santos' 1-0 defeat to Botafogo on Sunday, after attempting to emulate Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal.
With the match locked at 0-0 in the 76th minute, the Brazilian forward punched the ball into the net from close range when a rebound fell to him in the penalty area.
The referee immediately showed Neymar a second yellow card for the blatant handball, having already been booked in the first half.
Botafogo players surrounded the 33-year-old in fury before his dismissal was confirmed, cutting short his first start since returning from injury last month.
Neymar was shown a second yellow card after punching the ball
Reuters
Neymar's costly dismissal proved decisive as Botafogo capitalised on their numerical advantage to score the winning goal just ten minutes later.
Artur Victor Guimaraes found the net in the 86th minute to secure all three points for the visitors.
The red card suspension will rule Neymar out of Santos' next fixture against Fortaleza on Thursday.
With Santos languishing in 18th position in the Brazilian league table, having lost seven of their 11 matches this season, the defeat compounds their relegation fears as they sit firmly in the drop zone.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star issued a grovelling apology on social media following the match.
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"I made a mistake, forgive me!" Neymar posted.
"Today, if I hadn't been sent off, I'm sure we would have gotten the three points.
"You can count these three points against me!"
Neymar was sent off as a result of his handball
Reuters
In a longer statement, he added: "Desperation of scoring sometimes causes us to commit mistakes... I want to apologise to my teammates and also to the fans!"
The Brazilian took full responsibility for the defeat, acknowledging that his needless dismissal had cost his side crucial points in their battle against relegation.
The red card could mark Neymar's final appearance for his boyhood club, as his contract with Santos expires on 30th June.
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Dia 701 - Neymar fazendo gol de mãopic.twitter.com/664Y8vnidn
— Todo dia um momento bizarro do futebol (@bizarrofut) June 1, 2025
With the Brazilian league now on hold until mid-July due to the international break and Club World Cup, and his suspension ruling him out of the Fortaleza match, Neymar would need to extend his contract to feature again for Santos.
The forward's return to Santos in January following his stint at Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal has been disappointing.
He has managed just three goals in 12 appearances, missing eight matches through injury since rejoining the club where he began his professional career.
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