Neymar Sent Off for Covering His Mouth

BRAZIL · FOOTBALL · BRASILEIRÃO

Neymar, the Santos captain and one of the world’s best-known footballers, was sent off on Saturday, 24 October 2026, under a rule that punishes players who cover their mouths when speaking to an opponent, and he will miss Santos’s next two league games.

Neymar was shown a red card at the start of the second half of Santos’s 1-1 draw with Bahia in Brazil’s top league on Saturday, 24 October 2026, after a video review showed him covering his mouth with his hand while arguing with Bahia midfielder Rodrigo Nestor. Referee Sávio Pereira Sampaio applied what Brazilian outlets call the Vini Jr. rule, a measure against discriminatory abuse, and the red card adds a second game to a ban Neymar already faced for a third yellow card.

The ban covers the clássico against Palmeiras, who lead the table after Saturday’s round, on Wednesday, 28 October (7:30 p.m. in Brasília, 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time), and the trip to Red Bull Bragantino on Monday, 2 November. Neymar and Nestor gave different accounts afterwards, and the dispute was still open on Sunday, 25 October 2026.

What Happened at Vila Belmiro

Bahia led 1-0 at the interval through Luciano Juba, who struck from the edge of the box after the ball stopped in a puddle, and Santos equalised through defender Luan Peres in stoppage time at the end of the match, the Globo sports site ge reports. Heavy rain began around the 23rd minute and flooded the pitch, and Bahia coach Rogério Ceni says he and Santos coach Cuca asked for the game to be stopped, which Cuca says he favoured.

The row began in the 31st minute, when, after a foul, Neymar threw the ball at Nestor and received a yellow card, his third, which meant an automatic one-game suspension. The ge report adds that Ceni was pushed by Neymar during the argument, while Ceni himself says he has “zero problem” with it.

After the interval Neymar went to speak to Nestor again and put his left hand in front of his mouth, and Nestor alerted the officials. The referee had not seen the gesture, the VAR called him over, and after the review he showed the red card.

Neymar stayed on the pitch for several more minutes and tried to go at Nestor before Bahia’s players protected Nestor, and the break lasted more than 25 minutes, ge says. Bahia then played the second half with an extra player, but Ceni said the 11-against-10 advantage “could not show on the pitch”.

What the Vini Jr. Rule Says

Estadão describes the rule as a FIFA measure against discriminatory abuse that can lead to a red card because covering the mouth makes it harder to identify possible insults. CNN Brasil says the name comes from Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior, who reported racist abuse in a Champions League match against Benfica, where Benfica’s Prestianni covered his mouth to speak to him and was disciplined.

CNN Brasil reported on 20 June 2026, during the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, that FIFA referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina had promised zero tolerance, calling the gesture intentional and aimed at hiding what is said, and that Paraguay’s Almirón was the first player sent off under it at the tournament. The rule’s official text could not be checked on Sunday, so these descriptions come from the outlets, and no report quotes Nestor accusing Neymar of racism.

What Neymar and Nestor Say

In that video Neymar apologised to Santos fans, said he had said nothing to Nestor when he covered his mouth although both men had been trading insults, and said the rule was created against racism and should not be used to gain an advantage. In a video posted by Pedro Lopes as he left the pitch he said he was wrong to put his hand on his mouth, called Nestor’s move “the biggest dirty trick in football” and said he would “get” him.

Nestor told Sportv at the interval that Neymar is an idol as a player but “failed as a person”, that he heard “a series of things” and that they were disrespectful to him and to Bahia. He did not repeat the words, saying children were watching.

What Comes Next for Santos

Cuca said after the match that he would talk to Neymar calmly on Sunday and did not want to throw him “on the fire”, because he first wants to understand what Neymar said and what was said to him. The ge report says he is not yet thinking of any punishment.

The draw keeps Santos in the race for a place in the 2027 Copa Libertadores with six rounds left, ge says, and Ceni said the gap to his Bahia side, seventh with 50 points, stayed at four points instead of growing to seven. Palmeiras lead the table for now after beating Bragantino 2-0 on Saturday, two points ahead of Flamengo, who play on Monday, 26 October, CNN Brasil reports.

What It Means for You

For American fans who follow Brazilian football, the practical effect is that Neymar is out of Santos against Palmeiras at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, 28 October, and of the trip to Bragantino on Monday, 2 November. CNN Brasil reports that the rule is one of the novelties of the 2026 World Cup played in North America, so the same gesture can now bring a red card in Brazil’s league.

The episode also shows how the Vini Jr. rule works on the pitch, because a gesture that a player may see as harmless can bring a red card once the video referee sees it. Neymar himself says he made a mistake by covering his mouth, even as he disputes how the rule was used against him.

What Is Not Known

Nobody has published what Neymar said to Nestor, if anything, and Nestor has not repeated it, so the dispute rests on the two players’ accounts. The referee’s match report and any sports-court action had not been published on Sunday morning, and no report says whether Neymar could face more games.

It is also not known what Santos will do about the incident, since Cuca said on Saturday night that he had not yet spoken to Neymar and had not decided on any measure. The kickoff time of the 2 November game and the lineup Cuca will field without his captain have not been announced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Neymar sent off?

The referee sent him off at the restart after a video review showed him covering his mouth with his hand while arguing with Bahia’s Rodrigo Nestor. Brazilian outlets say the Vini Jr. rule allows a red card for that gesture.

What is the Vini Jr. rule?

Estadão describes it as a FIFA measure against discriminatory abuse that can bring a red card for covering the mouth to speak to an opponent. CNN Brasil says it is named after Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior.

Which games will Neymar miss?

He misses Santos against Palmeiras on Wednesday, 28 October at 7:30 p.m. in Brasília (6:30 p.m. Eastern Time), and the trip to Bragantino on Monday, 2 November. A third yellow card and the red card together cause the two-game ban.

What did Neymar say?

He apologised to Santos fans, said the red card was fair and said he had said nothing to Nestor when he covered his mouth. He added that the rule was created against racism and should not be used to gain an advantage.

What did Rodrigo Nestor say?

He told Sportv that Neymar “failed as a person” and said something disrespectful to him and to Bahia. He did not repeat the words because children were watching.

What was the score?

Santos and Bahia drew 1-1 at Vila Belmiro on Saturday, 24 October 2026. Luciano Juba scored for Bahia and Luan Peres equalised for Santos in stoppage time.

Sources: ge, Neymar sent off, 24 October 2026, ge, Nestor explains the argument, 24 October 2026, ge, Neymar’s video, 25 October 2026, ge, Cuca’s news conference, 25 October 2026, ge, match analysis, 25 October 2026, ge, Ceni’s news conference, 25 October 2026, CNN Brasil, Neymar sent off and the rule, 24 October 2026, CNN Brasil, Neymar’s first reaction, 24 October 2026, Estadão, Neymar sent off, 24 October 2026, CNN Brasil, Palmeiras 2-0 Bragantino, 24 October 2026. All opened on Sunday 25 October 2026. Quotes are translated from Portuguese.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief