Neymar‘s time at Santos has been anything but straightforward, and even as he focuses on forcing his way into Brazil‘s 2026 World Cup squad, another controversy has emerged. Reports have claimed the superstar clashed with Robinho Jr., the son of former Brazil international Robinho, during a training session.
Having been left out of Santos’ Saturday fixture against Palmeiras at the Allianz Parque due to the artificial turf surface, Neymar took part in a Sunday training session at the club’s facility. The session brought together reserve team players and those who had not featured the previous day, including both Neymar and the 18-year-old Robinho Jr.
According to Globo Esporte, an altercation broke out between the two players during the Sunday morning session at the CT Rei Pelé. The Brazilian outlet reports that Neymar grew irritated after being dribbled past by the teenager, responding after asking the youngster to ease up during the drill.
The confrontation escalated beyond words, with the two players reportedly engaging in a pushing match. At least one source contacted by Globo Esporte claims to have witnessed Neymar slapping Robinho Jr., and also catching the youngster with a trip that lifted him off the ground.
Neymar and Robinho of Brazil embracing.
The episode was all the more surprising given that Neymar has been something of a mentor to Robinho Jr. since the teenager began making his way through the Santos setup. The young forward’s father, former Real Madrid and Manchester City striker Robinho, was a longtime national team teammate of Neymar’s, and the two families have remained close over the years, making the training ground incident all the more jarring.
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None of the parties involved, including Santos, Robinho Jr.’s representatives or Neymar’s press team, have commented publicly on the matter. However, according to Globo Esporte, Neymar approached Robinho Jr. to apologize for his behavior before leaving the training facility, with the situation resolved before the end of the session.
Neymar set to feature in Santos’ next game
After missing the game against Bahia through rest and the Palmeiras fixture due to the turf issue, Neymar has appeared in just one of Santos’ last three matches, a Copa Sudamericana clash against San Lorenzo. With his World Cup place far from secure, however, the former PSG and Barcelona star is set to return to the starting lineup at the first available opportunity.
At Sunday’s press conference, Santos head coach Cuca confirmed that Neymar will start against Deportivo Recoleta in Paraguay on Tuesday. “They’ve already sold all the tickets there; Neymar is going to play, of course he’s going to play. After that, he’ll have a run of games leading up to the call-up, doing his best and staying energized. Now, it’s about leaving everything on the pitch, helping us and helping himself,” Cuca said.
Santos currently sit at the bottom of Group D and are in desperate need of a victory against Recoleta. Following that match, the club has four more games before Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti announces his World Cup squad on May 18, and Cuca has made clear his intention to keep Neymar in the lineup and give him the run of matches he needs to make his case.
