After the worst defeat of his career, the Brazilian star admitted he was “frustrated and ashamed.”
Neymar has often left the pitch in tears due to injuries. This time, though, the tears were different—born not from pain in his body, but from the agony of humiliation. The heaviest loss of his career left him broken, his sorrow pouring out both in his eyes and his words. He confessed he had never experienced anything like it before.
In a Brazilian Serie A match, Santos were humiliated 6-0 at home by Vasco da Gama—Neymar’s most crushing defeat as a professional.
Ironically, Vasco da Gama had been struggling in the league, collecting only 16 points from 17 matches with just four wins. Yet against Santos, they ran riot.
At halftime, the damage seemed limited, with Vasco leading just 1-0. But an astonishing second-half onslaught saw them score five goals between the 52nd and 68th minutes.
Philippe Coutinho, recently back at Vasco after spells with Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Aston Villa, scored twice to compound Santos’ misery.
As the final whistle blew, Santos players slumped to the ground, jeered loudly by their home fans. Vasco supporters, meanwhile, sang and celebrated ecstatically.
Neymar sank to the turf, burying his face in his hands as he sobbed. Teammates tried to console him and help him up, but he shoved them away. Even Coutinho and a few opposition players stepped in to offer comfort.
When Neymar finally spoke to the press, his emotions spilled over.
“I am ashamed. I am completely disappointed with our performance. The fans have every right to protest… of course without violence. But if they want to curse us or humiliate us, they have that right. We deserve it.”
He went on to explain the tears, using words filled with anger and despair.
“I feel an overwhelming sense of shame. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life. Unfortunately, it happened. Those tears came from rage… from everything. Sadly, I can’t do it all. But the reality is, this was absolute ****.
