Neymar Jr. left the field in tears after Santos FC suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat to Vasco Da Gama in Brazil’s top league, marking what is described as the most embarrassing failure of his career. This 6-0 scoreline was a historic low for Santos FC and Neymar Jr., as the club had never conceded so many goals in a single match in the Brazilian Serie A. Despite being eight-time Brazilian champions and having Neymar Jr. in their squad, Santos FC found themselves near the bottom of the league, only two points clear of the relegation zone.
The devastating loss led to the immediate firing of coach Cleber Xavier just hours after the final whistle. Vasco Da Gama’s midfielder Philippe Coutinho, formerly of Liverpool and Aston Villa, scored two goals, helping his team secure their first victory in six matches and their biggest win in 17 years.
The match ended in deep disappointment for Neymar and the entire squad, sparking fan protests demanding solutions for the club. Neymar told journalists after the game, “I have never seen this before in my life. Unfortunately, I can’t help anything. I think everyone today should go home, sleep, and think about what happened and what they want to do next.”
Neymar, who is 33 years old and holds the record for the most expensive transfer in football history (from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for €222 million in 2017), recently returned to Santos FC this season after terminating his contract with Al Hilal due to frequent injuries. Since his mid-season return, he has appeared in 12 matches, contributing 6 assists.
