Neymar Slams Vila Belmiro Pitch After Injury in Santos Exit

Neymar left Vila Belmiro limping and livid. Santos were out of the Copa do Brasil. He was out of the game with a thigh problem. And in his view, the pitch was as much the villain as Palmeiras.

The Brazilian star hobbled off at the end of the first half of the quarter-final second leg, a goalless draw that sealed Santos’ elimination after a 3-0 defeat in the first leg. The scoreboard stayed still. The tension did not.

Once the final whistle went, Neymar’s anger found its target: the grass beneath his boots.

On Instagram, he started with a cold, sarcastic jab: “I would like to congratulate the person responsible for the Vila Belmiro stadium pitch.”

Then he dropped the irony and went straight for the jugular.

“What happened yesterday was the worst pitch the club has ever seen,” he wrote. “It was full of holes because of works carried out one day before the match. Unbelievable! Alongside playing against the opponent, we were also playing against the pitch.”

For Neymar, this was not just about aesthetics. It was about risk.

“And to make matters worse, we had to make a greater effort because of its dreadful condition. No wonder 3 players were injured in the first half. Well done indeed... very poor work!”

The frustration was sharpened by his own setback. In a season where every minute matters, a thigh injury on a chewed-up surface was a bitter pill.

“Unfortunately, I felt discomfort in my thigh. I will undergo tests, and I hope it is not serious. We will keep our morale up and focus on what is coming,” he added, trying to look ahead even as he questioned what had just happened.

Palmeiras' Response

If Santos’ star forward thought the night’s drama would end there, Palmeiras had other ideas.

The São Paulo giants, who had already done the real damage with their 3-0 win in the first leg, responded off the pitch with a pointed, sarcastic statement of their own. They praised the condition of their own surface, highlighting that their stadium pitch receives daily maintenance and “remains in perfect condition.”

Palmeiras underlined that their players feel safer because of that standard and noted that they are the Brazilian top-flight club least affected by injuries over the past five years. No names were needed. The message was obvious: look at our grass, look at our record, and draw your own conclusions.

Neymar left Vila Belmiro questioning the ground he walked on. Palmeiras walked away defending theirs — and still very much alive in the cup.