13 October 2023 , 12:26
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Neymar was left incandescent after a box of popcorn was thrown at him by a Brazil fan.
The ugly incident happened after Brazil were held to a surprise 1-1 draw by Venezuela in Cuiaba. Arsenal star Gabriel Magalhaes' first goal for Brazil was cancelled out by Eduard Bello's late equaliser.
The draw means Brazil's 100 per cent record in qualification for the 2026 World Cup is over. Home fans were frustrated by the result and one individual made their feelings known by hurling a box of popcorn at Neymar, who was wearing the captain's armband.
Neymar was understandably furious and responded by pointing and shouting at the fan. He was dragged down the tunnel by his team-mates before Brazil's interim manager Fernando Diniz condemned the poor actions of the popcorn-throwing supporter.
"I completely disapprove," Diniz told reporters, as quoted by ESPN. "Cursing and booing is fine. Throwing a bag of popcorn doesn't do anything for anyone. It's disrespectful towards those who came to play and tried to do the best they could."
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Brazil are only three games into qualification for the World Cup and should easily reach the tournament held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Six of the 10 South American nations will qualify, with another entering an inter-confederation play-off.
Yet Diniz wants to get the job done sooner rather than later. Brazilians are desperate to win a sixth world title, with their most recent triumph coming in Japan and South Korea 21 years ago. Diniz added: "We could have had a second (goal), a third, a fourth.
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"We finished the plays poorly. We also shouldn't have conceded Venezuela's goal. We should have adjusted our marking and not given the opponent the chance to finish. But the team didn't play a bad game. The players feel the heat and the difficulty of the pitch."
As for Neymar, the 2026 World Cup is likely to be his last chance to win the prestigious competition. The 31-year-old's career has stalled since leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in a world record transfer six years ago.
Neymar's time in the French capital was blighted by injuries, making just 112 league appearances in six seasons, and he was sold to Saudi side Al-Hilal during the summer. The former Santos talent is yet to score his first goal in the Saudi Pro League.
For many years, Neymar was regarded as Brazil's great hope. He inspired them to victory at the Confederations Cup in 2013 and the Olympics in 2016 but hasn't achieved much since then, missing Brazil's 2019 Copa America triumph with an injury.