Neymar's Outrage Over Vila Belmiro Pitch After Copa Do Brasil Exit

Neymar rages at ‘worst pitch the club has ever seen’ after injury and Copa exit

The night was already sour for Santos. Knocked out of the Copa do Brasil by Palmeiras after a 0-0 draw at Vila Belmiro and a 3-0 defeat in the first leg, the club’s frustration spilled over in a different direction once the final whistle went.

Neymar led that charge.

The Brazilian star limped off at the end of the first half with a thigh problem, then turned his anger not on the opposition, but on the grass beneath his feet. The iconic Vila Belmiro pitch became the target of a blistering attack as he accused those in charge of leaving players exposed on a dangerous surface.

On Instagram, Neymar began with a sting of sarcasm:

“I would like to congratulate the person responsible for the Vila Belmiro stadium pitch.”

The tone then snapped.

“What happened yesterday was the worst pitch the club has ever seen. 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.”

The message painted a picture of a surface ripped up and rushed back into shape far too late, a field that turned a high-stakes quarter-final into a survival test. Neymar claimed the conditions forced players to push harder than they should have just to stay upright and in control.

“And to make matters worse,” he continued, “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!”

His own injury became part of that wider accusation.

“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.”

The anger, though, did not go unanswered.

Palmeiras seized the moment with a pointed response of their own. The club released a sarcastic statement lauding the condition of their own pitch, underlining that it receives daily maintenance and, in their words, remains in perfect condition.

They went further, stressing that their players feel more secure thanks to that standard and highlighting a statistic tailored for this very argument: Palmeiras, they said, are the Brazilian top-flight club least affected by injuries over the past five years.

No names were needed. The message was clear. Neymar had fired the first shot at Vila Belmiro. Palmeiras replied by holding up their own turf as the example to follow.