The hero's return did not end with applause. Rather, boos were louder. After Neymar left the stadium amid fierce criticism from fans of his former club Santos, he even posted an explanatory message himself, revealing his heightened emotions.
The British tabloid The Sun reported on the 20th (Korea time), "Neymar walked toward the tunnel amid boos after the loss to Fluminense. He later reacted on social media, saying 'no human could endure this,'"
The trigger was another shaky performance by Santos. Santos lost 2-3 to Fluminense in a 2026 Brazilian Serie A match held on the 19th at Vila Belmiro in Brazil.
According to ESPN match records, Santos collapsed after conceding a late winner to John Kennedy despite Gabriel Barbosa's opening goal and Alvaro Varela's equalizer.
With this defeat, Santos remained 15th in the league with 12 matches, 3 wins, 4 draws and 5 losses, earning 13 points. The gap to 17th-place Corinthians, in the relegation zone, was only one point, making the atmosphere all the more tense.
The problem came after the match. After the final whistle, Neymar drew attention by putting his finger to his ear amid boos from home fans. Locally, this was interpreted as a gesture to block out taunts, and the controversy quickly spread.
Neymar then directly rebutted, saying, "The day has come when I even have to explain scratching my ear," calling the interpretations excessive, and he did not hide his displeasure that fans' reactions "crossed the line."
The Sun and Goal reported that Neymar later lamented, "no human could endure this."
In fact, this was not the first time. Just a few days earlier, Neymar had an argument with fans after a 1-1 draw with Recoleta in the Copa Sudamericana.
According to Bein Sports, Neymar wrote after the match, "Losing, drawing and winning are part of football. I will keep trying to improve," but at the same time drew a line against personal attacks directed at him.
The Sun also reported that Neymar could not hide his emotions when clashing with fans at the time. Team struggles and personal criticism overlapped, accumulating tension.
What hurts more is that Neymar does not have much time left to secure a spot on the World Cup squad. According to Reuters, he has appeared in only eight official matches in 2026 due to knee problems and has recorded four goals and three assists.
He has also not played for the Brazil national team since 2023. While his intention to return to the Seleção ahead of the World Cup is clear, if off-field noise overshadows his performance as it does now, it will be difficult to catch coach Carlo Ancelotti's eye.
His homecoming has failed to remain romantic and is increasingly turning into a stage of pressure and conflict. The reversal Neymar wants has not yet come.
[Photo] The Sun capture.
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