Revealed: The real reason Brazil fan threw popcorn at Neymar before Al-Hilal star had to be dragged down tunnel by team-mates

The Al-Hilal attacker, who has passed Pele to become his country’s all-time leading goalscorer, was hit by an object thrown from the crowd following a 1-1 draw with Venezuela in 2026 World Cup qualification. That result did not go down well with a disappointed fan base.

Neymar had to be dragged down the tunnel by his team-mates after being struck by a box of popcorn, with the 31-year-old shouting angrily towards the supposed culprit as he made his way off the field. The identity of the fan in question is being kept secret, for fear of reprisals from other supporters, but he has spoken out to insist that his actions were not those of anger and spite.

Brazilian news portal Leo Dias has released an audio clip from the fan in question, in which they say: “At the end of the game I went downstairs, where I was closer to the players. I was eating popcorn; Neymar came, I screamed, I called and he didn't even look in my direction. I threw the popcorn at him , but I had no intention of saying that he was playing badly, I really did it to get his attention. It seems that I did it out of spite, but I didn't do it out of spite, I did it to get his attention. I am a fan of his, I admire his football, it was not to hurt him, it was simply to draw attention so that he would look at the stands.”

Neymar spoke out against the popcorn-throwing incident after being frustrated in Brazil’s latest stalemate, telling reporters: “I condemn that type of attitude, it should not be done, it is very bad for football, for human beings. A guy who does this kind of thing is not an educated guy, he will not be able to educate his son in the best possible way. If he complains so much he should have trained better and been on the field.”

Brazil will be back in action on Tuesday when taking in a trip to Uruguay.