Neymar was seen clashing with Santos fans during and after their defeat by Internacional on Thursday, with his boyhood club dropping into the relegation zone.
Neymar’s Santos Drop Into Relegation Zone
His ‘fairytale’ return to Brazil came with huge expectations, but it’s not quite going to plan for Neymar at Santos, as his boyhood club currently languish in the Brasileirao relegation zone.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star rejoined his former side after being released by Al-Hilal in January. He recently penned a new deal at Estádio do Vila Belmiro until the end of the year, with an option to extend for a further six months through to the 2026 World Cup.
A hamstring injury has largely hampered his return. Regardless, he has still managed to make 15 appearances across all competitions but has registered just four goals and three assists.
His underwhelming numbers in front of goal come amid a tough period for Santos.
Across 15 league matches this term, they have won just four, drawn two and lost nine.
It’s a return that sees them occupy 17th place in the table, currently on course for relegation, with football betting sites pricing them at around 7/2 to suffer the drop.
Their struggles went from bad to worse during the early hours of Thursday morning, as they suffered a second successive league defeat. They narrowly lost 2-1 to Internacional.
Neymar captained his side and featured for the entire 90 minutes. After another frustrating performance, however, the 33-year-old was seen clashing with fans in the stands.
In the clips, one of which was during the game, he is seen pointing and arguing with a fan.
Goalkeeper Joao Paulo even had to pull Neymar away from an exchange after the final whistle, with one particular supporter making his feelings clear to Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer.
WATCH: Neymar Clashes With Santos Fans
Todos os jogos o Neymar discute com torcedor, é ridículo, patético, vergonha alheia um cara do tamanho que tem, a mídia que tem ficar se rebaixando a isso em TODOS os jogos.
pic.twitter.com/QOl71UeQVO— Brasileirão da Opressão (@brasileiraoopre) July 24, 2025
neymar discutindo e colocando o dedo na cara do torcedor do santos pic.twitter.com/nymHK3Iz0E
— out of context brasileirão (@oocbrsao) July 24, 2025
Will Santos Suffer Relegation?
It is entirely feasible that Santos will suffer demotion back down to the second tier.
They were relegated from the top-flight for the first time in their 111-year history back in 2023 but bounced back instantly after winning Brasileirao Serie B in 2024 by a one-point margin.
Time is on Peixe‘s side this term though, as they have 23 league games remaining.
There are six clubs favoured to be relegated ahead of them by the bookmakers, with many backing Neymar and co. to turn things around for Cleber Xavier’s side.
Up next, they face winless bottom-of-the-table side Sport Recife on Saturday, where they’ll surely be able to bounce back with a crucial three points in their quest for top-flight safety.
Santos’ campaign draws to a close against current league leaders Cruzeiro on 21 December.
