Neymar apologizes for red card in potential farewell match for Santos

Neymar has publicly apologized after being sent off in Santos’ 1-0 home defeat to Botafogo on Sunday, a moment that may mark the end of his current stint with the Brazilian club.

The 32-year-old forward received a second yellow card in the 76th minute for deliberately using his hand to push the ball into the net—an attempt he later described as a product of “desperation” to score. The goal was immediately disallowed, and Santos, down to 10 men, conceded the winner in the 86th minute.

“Desperation to score a goal sometimes leads to mistakes,” Neymar wrote on Instagram. “I want to apologize to my teammates and to the fans. I made a mistake, forgive me. If I hadn’t been sent off, I’m sure we would have gotten the three points. Congratulations to the team for today’s game. You can put these three points on my account.”

Neymar’s current contract with Santos ends in June, and with only one league match remaining before the Club World Cup break—and a suspension ruling him out of that game—it’s uncertain whether he’ll wear the Santos jersey again in this spell.

While Neymar admitted the second yellow was justified, he took issue with the first, issued in the first half for a foul. “The second yellow card has to be shown, but the referee has to be kidding about the first one,” he said. “It’s one foul and I’m already being shown a yellow. It’s incredible how many bad referees there are out there. That’s my opinion, please don’t punish me even more,” he added, lightening the tone with a laughing emoji.

The result deepens Santos’ struggles in the Brazilian league. With only two wins in 11 matches, the team sits 18th in the 20-team table—inside the relegation zone. Neymar’s possible farewell comes at a time when the club is battling to stay afloat in the top flight.