Neymar’s admiration for Diego Maradona is well known, but his attempt to mimic the Argentine legend’s infamous “Hand of God” goal backfired on Sunday, as he was sent off in what may have been his final appearance for Santos.
With the match against Botafogo deadlocked at 0-0 in the final 15 minutes, Neymar lunged at a rebound in the penalty area and deliberately punched the ball into the net. The act immediately drew protests from Botafogo players, and the referee wasted no time in issuing a second yellow card, cutting short Neymar’s first start since returning from injury last month.
To make matters worse, Botafogo went on to score four minutes from time, sealing a 1-0 win and deepening Santos’s struggles in the league.
After the match, the 33-year-old former Barcelona and PSG star expressed remorse.
“I made a mistake, forgive me!” Neymar wrote on social media. “If I hadn’t been sent off, I’m sure we would have won. You can put this loss on me!”
Neymar rejoined his boyhood club Santos in January after a stint with Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. His contract runs until June 30, and the red card means he will miss Thursday’s match against Fortaleza — potentially ending his short return unless he agrees to an extension before the league resumes in July after the Club World Cup.
Santos currently sit 18th in the Brazilian top flight, with seven losses in 11 matches.
