Neymar sent off after substitution error in Santos 3-0 loss

A bizarre officiating error cut short Neymar’s final match before Brazil’s World Cup squad announcement, forcing the star forward off the pitch in Santos’s 3-0 home defeat to Coritiba on Sunday. The incident occurred in the 65th minute and sparked furious protests from the player and his club.

With Santos trailing, Neymar was receiving treatment on his right calf when the fourth official raised the substitution board displaying his number, 10. Robinho Jr. entered the match in his place. However, Santos officials and Neymar immediately contested the change, asserting that defender Gonzalo Escobar, wearing number 31, was the intended player to be substituted.

Neymar was shown a yellow card by referee Paulo Cesar Zanovelli for refusing to accept the substitution. In a dramatic protest, the 34-year-old took the official substitution request sheet and showed it to broadcast cameras, pointing to Escobar’s number listed on the paper. Despite the appeals, the officials did not reverse the decision, and Neymar eventually left the field, handing the captain’s armband to Escobar.

After the match, Santos released a statement calling the error inexplicable and confirming that television...