Grow up, Neymar! Brazil & Santos icon's pathetic goading of minnows Remo is latest embarrassing act as he classlessly hurtles towards retirement

Neymar's return to his boyhood club has not been a success, no matter how you slice it. He was given a rapturous welcome at his homecoming ceremony at Vila Belmiro in January 2025, after a disastrous spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal, but has contributed just 14 goals and a measly four assists in 29 Brazilian Serie A appearances, and he's missed a total of 36 games in all competitions due to a combination of injuries and load management.

Santos may not have avoided the drop last season had it not been for Neymar's late surge, which included a stunning hat-trick against Juventude, but they have arguably gone backwards as a collective since re-signing the ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar, and ugly clashes with the club's fanbase have become a regular occurrence. There is a real danger that Santos won't be so lucky this time around and tensions boil over again, as they currently sit 15th in the Serie A table, only above the relegation zone on goal difference.

Neymar is finally back to an acceptable level of fitness, but Santos still have to be careful not to overuse him, and he's only sporadically making a meaningful impact on matches. More often than not, Neymar gets in the news because of his immature behaviour instead of his performances, and it's a distraction from the serious work that needs to be done for the Peixe to start climbing the table.

Neymar's conduct behind the scenes has also come under scrutiny. At the start of May, he was involved in a training ground spat with the 18-year-old Robinho Jr, son of the former Real Madrid and Manchester City winger, which culminated in a violent slap.

"That's what happened [a slap in the face]," Robinho Jr. said when quizzed on the incident, per ESPN. "He realised straight away that he'd gone too far, apologised to me several times, and I've already said that I accept his apology."

Neymar also issued a public apology, but stopped short of taking proper responsibility for his actions. "Anyone who plays football knows this happens - fights, fistfights, slaps, you name it. That's football, it's part of the game," he said. "Sometimes people try to get involved, they end up interpreting these things in a very different way from how they really are... it ends up getting blown out of proportion in a very bad way."

Two months later, as Neymar reported back to Vila Belmiro with his tail between his legs after Brazil's World Cup failure, he found himself at the centre of more controversy. Neymar returned with a bang, scoring twice to spare Santos' blushes in a 2-2 draw against rock-bottom Chapecoense, but it was subsequently reported that he had shamed two younger team-mates, Gabriel Bontempo and Joao Ananias, during a heated half-time exchange.

Neymar dismissed the claims as "malicious lies", but also added: "We held the entire team accountable. Lucas [Verissimo], [Willian] Arao, Gabi [Barbossa], and I all spoke up... We're competitive and we want to win. But nobody was picking on the young players." Someone in the dressing room must have given the story to the press, so it's entirely possible that Neymar caused offence in another moment of anger, whether intentionally or not.

Neymar has also made a habit of getting drawn into verbal wars with opposing supporters, and caused uproar again on Tuesday night after Santos' narrow Copa do Brasil win against Remo, who are a point behind them in the Serie A standings. The round of 16 tie was delicately poised after a 0-0 draw at Vila Belmiro in the first leg, and Neymar made the difference after stepping off the bench in the second half, teeing up Rony to score a late winner.

However, Santos made very hard work of beating a side who had a man sent off inside the first 30 minutes, and are minnows by comparison in Brazil, given this is the first season Remo have competed in the top flight in 32 years. It wasn't a victory that warranted any kind of wild celebrations, but Neymar couldn't resist taunting Remo fans and officials when passing through the mixed zone.

He was seen screaming "eliminated!" at the top of his lungs multiple times and performed a mocking dance before heading into the Santos dressing room, which did not go down well with Remo president Antonio Carlos Teixeira. "That bum Neymar, who's idolised by a bunch of kids, pulled his stunts here and then comes to provoke us. We're guilty of idolising a bunch of bums like that," Teixeira said to O Fluxo, per ESPN.

Calling Neymar a "bum" is excessive, but there was definitely no need for his outburst. According to ESPN, chants of "go f*ck yourself" rained down on Neymar during the match, which he responded to with sarcastic waves, and he later said in an Instagram post: "The guys insult me, I celebrate, and they get mad."

Reacting in such a childish fashion lowers Neymar to the same level as those who targeted him. Unfortunately, most top-level footballers have to face verbal ribbing from the stands, and the best response is always silence, unless it veers into abuse territory. At this late stage in his career, Neymar should have the wisdom to rise above it and let his football do the talking, but he still seems unable to control his emotions, or stay focused on his on-pitch duties.

Neymar made a fool of himself in a similar way during Brazil's 2-1 loss to Norway at the World Cup. Carlo Ancelotti introduced the Santos icon in the 67th minute for only his second appearance at the tournament, and he was completely ineffective until Brazil were awarded a penalty in the dying seconds, with the contest effectively over already.

Before taking the kick, with Brazil's main man for penalties, Bruno Guimaraes, subbed by this stage after missing one in the first half, Neymar exchanged words with Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, and proceeded to taunt him after rolling the ball into the bottom corner.

As reported by The Mirror, Neymar got right in Nyland's face and appeared to say "I'm number one" while smirking and prodding his own chest, neglecting to sprint back immediately for a quick restart with Brazil needing another goal. It was the perfect example of main character syndrome.

He has not been "number one" in any footballing situation since leaving PSG in 2023. It could also be argued that he peaked at Barcelona, and his slow decline began when he completed his world-record switch to the Parc des Princes in 2017. Brazil didn't need him in North America, and the pictures of him crying after their exit didn't elicit any sympathy, because it's been so long since he fell into the elite bracket.

Brazil may well have beaten Norway had Neymar never come on. He disrupted their attacking rhythm and offered nothing defensively, which allowed the European nation to take control, with Erling Haaland ruthlessly capitalising by scoring two fine goals as Brazil retreated into a passive low block.

Ancelotti clearly felt pressure to give the Selecao's all-time record scorer more minutes, just as he did in the months before the tournament, as Neymar's friends and family campaigned for him to be included in the final squad. He didn't deserve to make the plane, and wasn't even able to participate in Brazil's first two group games due to a calf injury; it was a complete waste of a forward spot that should have gone to Chelsea's Joao Pedro.

The best way that Neymar could have helped his country would have been to withdraw from the selection process at the start of the year, but he put himself first. He's doing the same thing at Santos now, on course to end his club career in equally ignominious fashion.

Neymar was once a world-class player who brought joy to millions, but wasn't dedicated enough to become one of the greats. That's the reasons his body started to break down in his mid-twenties, and why he never finished higher than third in the Ballon d'Or voting.

Unless he finally grows up over the next few months, Santos will be better off letting him go. Neymar has to decide if he wants to retire with his head held high, or as a stubborn disruptor no one will miss.