Thiago Mendes snubs Neymar handshake before Brazilian league match

Thiago Mendes, a player for Vasco da Gama, refused to shake hands with Neymar prior to their Brazilian league match on Sunday evening. This action has reignited a long-standing feud between the two footballers. The conflict between Mendes and Neymar originated in December 2020 when Mendes was playing for Olympique Lyonnais and Neymar was with Paris Saint-Germain.

During a match, Mendes committed a strong tackle that injured Neymar, causing him to be substituted off the pitch. Initially, Mendes received a yellow card, but following a VAR review, he was shown a red card. Mendes apologized the next day, yet Neymar's father expressed anger towards him, exacerbating the ongoing tension even after both players transferred to the Brazilian league.

In the match itself, Santos triumphed with a scoreline of 3-0 against Vasco da Gama, currently holding a 14th position in the league standings, while Vasco sits in 19th place, just above last. Following the game, Santos shared a video on social media depicting the handshake incident, followed by footage of another individual extending a handshake to Neymar after the victory.