Overview
- Video widely shared online shows Vasco captain Thiago Mendes deliberately avoiding Neymar during the customary pre-match handshakes at São Januário on Sunday.
- Santos won the game 3-0, with Neymar influential in the second half as his performance overshadowed the pre-match drama.
- The players' hostility traces back to a 2020 Ligue 1 incident when Mendes was sent off for a scissors tackle that injured Neymar, an episode that drew public apologies and threats against Mendes’ family.
- The handshake snub drew immediate social-media reaction, Neymar’s account posted a lamenting emoji, and home fans distributed provocative masks mocking Neymar during the warm-up.
- There are no reports of formal sanctions from the handshake moment so far, but the renewed public exchange raises the risk of further on-field confrontations and escalated fan provocation in future matches.