VIDEO: Neymar goes berserk as he's substituted by MISTAKE during Santos' heavy defeat to Cortiba

As reported by ESPN, the strange event occurred in the second half of the Brazilian Serie A clash while Neymar was receiving treatment for a right calf issue. The Santos coaching staff handed referee Paulo Cesar Zanovelli a slip to withdraw Escobar, who wears number 31. However, the fourth official mistakenly raised the board for the number 10, worn by Neymar. Unaware of the blunder, Neymar actually returned to the pitch to continue playing. He only realised his match was officially over when he noticed that his team-mate Robinho Jr had already entered the fray in his place.

Once the forward realised what had happened, he lost his temper completely. As Neymar and the bench desperately pleaded with Zanovelli to reverse the decision, play comically continued as normal on the other side of the pitch. Refusing to accept the situation, a furious Neymar grabbed the physical substitution slip. He actively sought out the broadcasting cameras to display the paper, proving it clearly read 31 and not 10. He then unleashed a verbal tirade at the fourth official, aggressively pointing to him as the culprit for the entire confusion.

The touchline chaos compounded a miserable afternoon for the hosts at Vila Belmiro. Santos were completely outclassed by Coritiba, with Breno Lopes scoring twice from open play before winning a penalty that Josué converted to make it 3-0 in the first half. The second half saw a worrying medical emergency when Luan Peres required an ambulance after taking a ball to the face. This was quickly followed by a straight red card for Santos winger Alvaro Barreal. Playing with 10 men, the hosts had no chance of recovering.

Santos languish in 16th place in the Serie A table with just 18 points and must quickly regroup before facing San Lorenzo on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Neymar will anxiously wait to see if Carlo Ancelotti includes him in Monday's Brazil squad announcement for the upcoming World Cup, hoping this outburst avoids any negative repercussions.