Neymar apologized to teammate Robinho Jr. and his family after the Santos match.
Published May 7, 2026
Neymar publicly apologized to Santos teammate Robinho Jr. for slapping him during training, but the Brazilians appeared to put the dispute aside during the match.
“If you want to apologize in front of the press, here it is. I have already apologized to him and his family. I have crossed the line,” Neymar said on Tuesday after Santos’ 1-1 draw against Recoleta in Paraguay.
Santos announced earlier in the week that he had launched an investigation following an altercation between Neymar and the son of former Real Madrid and Manchester City striker Robinho.
According to Brazilian media, the altercation arose after Neymar, the national team’s all-time leading scorer, was unhappy about being dribbled past by an 18-year-old teammate during practice on Sunday.
Robinho Jr. admitted after Tuesday’s Copa Sudamericana match that Neymar slapped him, but said the incident was over and “everything is resolved.”
“This situation upsets me because he has been my idol since childhood. … I have told my parents about this and I accept his apology,” he added.
During the match, Neymar scored a goal for Santos and hugged Robinho Junior in celebration.
“He is a boy that I like very much and I have a special love for him. In football, he often argues with his friends and brothers,” Neymar said.
Neymar, 34, hopes to be called up by manager Carlo Ancelotti for this year’s World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19, despite repeated physical problems. He has not played for Brazil since October 2023.
Ancelotti is expected to announce the final squad on May 18th.
Robinho, 42, Neymar’s former teammate at Santos, was sentenced to prison in Italy for gang rape and is currently imprisoned in Brazil.
