VIDEO: Neymar brutally trolled by Santos conqueror Matheuzinho as injured Brazil star issues furious social media statement after damaging loss to Vitoria

Neymar was among those in attendance at Vila Belmiro as Santos sought to steer themselves clear of relegation danger. They are, however, very much in that basement battle after suffering a costly loss. Only goal difference is keeping them out of the drop zone at present.

Santos sit level on points with Vitoria (31 through 28 matches), with that gap being closed after Matheuzinho kept his composure from the spot. A penalty was awarded after Gabriel Brazao collided with Renzo Lopez inside the box. That decision was made following a VAR review that led to the match referee being asked to review the incident in question.

Matheuzinho made no mistake when firing his effort straight down the middle. After seeing the ball hit the target, he broke into Neymar’s trademark celebration - which sees hands placed on the side of the head while sticking out your tongue.

Vitoria had every reason to celebrate as, alongside picking up three priceless points in an ongoing survival bid, they have also recorded their first victory away at Santos in the club’s history. That goes some way to highlighting how far Neymar’s current employers have fallen.

Neymar, who is taking in a second spell with Santos, was left fuming in the stands after witnessing what he considers to have been another abject performance from match officials in the Brazilian top-flight. He posted on social media after taking issue with the decisive penalty award: “We need to professionalize refereeing in Brazil yesterday!”

He has previously called out “mistake after mistake” being made by referees and their team of assistants, with big decisions having far-reaching consequences for those teams that are fighting for their lives at the wrong end of the table.

Neymar is currently nursing a hamstring complaint that has kept him out of action since mid-September. Said knock has prevented him from returning to the Brazil national squad under new Selecao boss Carlo Ancelotti.

The 33-year-old playmaker, who has earned 128 caps for his country and scored 79 goals, is still hoping to form part of World Cup plans in 2026. It remains to be seen where he will be playing his club football by that point, with his contract at Santos running down as a return to Europe is speculated on for the ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar.