The Brazilian forward Neymar was handed a two-match suspension by the country's sports tribunal following an incident in which he covered his mouth during a confrontation with a Bahia player. The incident occurred during Santos's match against Bahia last weekend. In total, Neymar will miss three matches; two are due to this suspension, and one further suspension is for an accumulation of yellow cards. Neymar will start serving this penalty in the upcoming match against Palmeiras and is expected to be sidelined until late November. This decision came after the tribunal ruled that Neymar breached the Vinicius law, a football protocol designed to maintain transparency during heated player confrontations by prohibiting players from covering their mouths.
The Vinicius law, named after Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, allows referees to penalize players who deliberately hide their mouths with hands, arms, or jerseys during disputes on the pitch. This rule promotes fair play and discourages players from masking remarks or actions that could escalate tensions. Neymar and his club Santos have the option to appeal the two match suspension. Despite the disciplinary issues, Neymar has had a challenging yet impactful year in 2026. The 34-year-old forward has overcome injuries but remains an important contributor. He has scored eight goals across 15 appearances in Brazil's league this year.
Neymar also earned a recall to the Brazil national team due to his impressive early year performances. However, injuries limited his World Cup involvement, where he made a couple of substitute appearances and scored a penalty against Norway. Unfortunately, Brazil was eliminated in the round of 16 by European opposition. After this tournament, Neymar announced his retirement from international football, finishing with a remarkable record of 80 goals in 130 appearances for his country.