Neymar was angry after being hit on the head by a bag of popcorn thrown by a frustrated fan following Brazil’s shocking World Cup qualifying draw with Venezuela.
Brazil was on track to secure three wins in a row on their journey to the 2026 tournament in North America, but they had to settle for just one point after Eduard Bello’s spectacular overhead kick.
This result saw Brazil fall behind their arch-rivals, Argentina, in the early standings. The home crowd at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba expressed their dissatisfaction with whistles and jeers.
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How it all happened
As the players were leaving the field, Neymar, who plays for Al-Hilal, was targeted by a fan who threw a bag of popcorn, which hit him in the head. Neymar was on his way to the tunnel but stopped to look into the stands in an attempt to identify the person responsible.
Despite the efforts of his teammates to escort him back to the dressing rooms, Neymar shouted at someone in the stands and returned from the tunnel to address the situation while pointing an accusing finger. Things got heated until he was pulled away by the front of his shirt.
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Neymar criticised for Brazil’s performance
Neymar, who moved to Saudi Arabia from Paris Saint-Germain in a £77million deal in August, faced criticism despite delivering the corner from which Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes scored for Brazil.
However, Brazil missed several good chances, and Vinicius Junior had a goal disallowed for offside, leading to Bello’s acrobatic finish, which secured a draw for Venezuela.
This was the first time Brazil failed to defeat Venezuela at home, ending a 15-match winning streak in World Cup qualifying matches at home that dated back to 2015
