Neymar's Fury Over Vila Belmiro Pitch After Copa do Brasil Exit

The mood at Vila Belmiro curdled fast.

Santos were already staring at the exit door of the Copa do Brasil after a 3-0 first-leg beating by Palmeiras. Wednesday’s 0-0 draw merely confirmed the inevitable. The real drama came in the shape of a torn-up pitch, three first-half injuries and one furious global superstar.

Neymar’s fury at “worst pitch the stadium has ever seen”

Late in the first half, Neymar pulled up holding his right hamstring and went straight down the tunnel. The stadium fell quiet. Minutes later, the anger moved online.

On Instagram, Neymar unleashed a blistering attack on the state of the Vila Belmiro turf and those responsible for it. He claimed the surface had been “uncompacted” the day before the game, leaving it, in his words, “the worst pitch the stadium has ever seen, riddled with holes.”

He didn’t stop there. Neymar complained that Santos were not only facing Palmeiras, but “battling the pitch itself,” saying players had to strain more in “acceleration and braking” because of the uneven ground. He pointed directly to the injury toll as proof, noting three first-half injuries before signing off with a sarcastic “Congratulations, then... What a load of crap job.”

The images on the night backed up at least part of his anger. Clumps of turf lifted, players lost footing, and the ball bobbled where it should have skimmed.

Injury chaos fuels the complaints

Neymar’s hamstring problem was only the headline. The first half turned into a medical report.

Lucas Verissimo limped off with an ankle injury. Barreal followed as the third player forced out before the break. Each departure added weight to Neymar’s accusations that the pitch had become an opponent in its own right.

The fallout is immediate for Santos. According to ESPN, Neymar is a major doubt for Sunday’s Brasileiro clash with Internacional at Beira-Rio and is not expected to play. With their star man sidelined, Arthur is tipped to come in and operate high up the pitch, almost as a classic number 10, tasked with knitting together an attack suddenly missing its focal point.

Palmeiras twist the knife

If Neymar wanted a reaction, he certainly got one – just not the kind that would soothe tempers in Vila Belmiro.

Palmeiras, never shy when it comes to poking a rival, jumped on his complaints with a sharply sarcastic post on social media. The club used his own words as ammunition, drawing a pointed comparison between the troubled natural grass at Vila Belmiro and the pristine synthetic surface at Nubank Parque, where they had cruised to that 3-0 first-leg win.

“We want to congratulate those responsible for the Nubank Parque field... No matter the day, the grass is always perfect and without holes, because it is cared for daily. You can believe it!” the post read, a clear echo of Neymar’s tone.

Then came the real sting. Palmeiras mirrored his complaints almost line by line: “Besides offering a good playing field for the opponent, our athletes feel safer because, during runs, the surface is always even. It’s no coincidence that Palmeiras is the Serie A club with the fewest injuries in the last five years... Congratulations, you know? Great job.”

A brutal reply. And a reminder that this rivalry rarely misses a chance to spill beyond the white lines.

Santos leave the Copa do Brasil wounded, literally and figuratively, with their star on the treatment table and their home pitch under fire. Palmeiras leave with a clean sheet, a semi-final spot, and the last word—for now.