Neymar was sent off for covering his mouth while arguing with Bahia midfielder Rodrigo Nestor as Santos drew 1-1 with Bahia in round 32 of the Brazilian league at Vila Belmiro on 24 October. Referee Savio Pereira Sampaio showed him a straight red card after a VAR check, applying the rule against covering the mouth during confrontations with opponents that was used at the 2026 World Cup, VnExpress reported. The 34-year-old also pushed Bahia coach Rogério Ceni during the game and, after his dismissal, said he would look for Nestor to have a word.
How the evening boiled over
According to VnExpress, the trouble began in the 31st minute with the score at 0-0. Fouled by Nestor, Neymar threw the ball at the Bahia midfielder, who went down, and was booked. Nestor said afterwards that he had been about to help Neymar to his feet.
Luciano Juba put Bahia ahead in the 39th minute, and Neymar protested furiously, arguing that the referee had missed a foul at the start of the move. At one point in the game Neymar pushed Ceni, the former goalkeeper who scored more goals than any other keeper in history, 129 in all. VnExpress said neither was booked for that incident, while Dân trí described Neymar knocking the Bahia coach over. Heavy rain from the middle of the first half left the pitch waterlogged; the referee asked both captains about suspending play, but the players did not agree.
The red card came as the teams returned for the second half. Neymar went over to talk to Nestor and covered his mouth with his left hand. Nestor immediately alerted the referee, who had not seen the gesture but sent Neymar off after reviewing it on VAR. Brazilian media, cited by VnExpress, said the half-time break lasted more than 25 minutes because of the arguments. After his dismissal, Neymar charged towards Nestor and had to be held back by team-mates.
Down to 10 men, Santos still avoided defeat when centre-back Luan Peres equalised in the third minute of stoppage time.
Where the mouth-covering rule comes from
Brazilian media have nicknamed it the Vini Jr law, VnExpress reported. It bars players from covering their mouths with a hand or shirt while arguing with an opponent, to stop racist or abusive words that cannot be identified on camera. A breach can mean a straight red card.
KBVN+ has pieced together the background from three outlets:
- Last season's Champions League: Vinícius Júnior accused Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him. Prestianni was later banned for 6 matches for homophobic discriminatory behaviour (Bongda24h).
- Before the 2026 World Cup: a rule punishing players who cover their mouths when speaking to opponents was approved for the tournament (Bongda24h).
- At the 2026 World Cup: the rule was applied twice (VnExpress); Paraguay's Miguel Almirón and Ecuador's Piero Hincapié were sent off under it (Dân trí).
- 24 October: Neymar is sent off for covering his mouth against Bahia.
What both sides said
Neymar admitted he was wrong to cover his mouth but insisted he had not said anything. Leaving the pitch, he said the players had been joking and laughing with each other, that he went to speak to Nestor and that Nestor raised his hand before he had said a word, according to VnExpress. He called the referee's decision the dirtiest in football.
On social media, Bongda24h reported, Neymar said it was very serious that Nestor had tried to gain an advantage by accusing him when anti-racism rules already exist, and said he was saddened because Nestor had behaved dishonestly.
Nestor said Neymar had used disrespectful language towards him and Bahia, but refused to repeat it because many children were watching. Speaking to Sportv as he left the field at half-time, he said Neymar is an idol as a player but had failed as a person that day because of the way he spoke, VnExpress reported.
The table after round 32
| Team | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Bahia | 7th | 50 |
| Santos | 8th | 46 |
Sources: VnExpress, Dân trí.
The draw cost Bahia a chance to move into the top 5, and left Santos unable to close the gap on the Copa Libertadores places, VnExpress noted.
What comes next
Neymar will miss Santos' next two league matches, according to VnExpress. He was already facing a one-match ban for collecting three yellow cards before the red, and the extra suspension rules him out of the derby against Palmeiras on 28 October and the home game against Red Bull Bragantino on 2 November. That leaves Santos without their captain for two games as they try to stay in touch with the Copa Libertadores places.