Neymar has returned to action in the Brazilian Serie A following his retirement from international football after the World Cup.
Idman.Biz reports that on the night of August 17, the Santos forward led his team out for their away match against Vasco da Gama.
During the pre-match greetings, Neymar shook hands with the players but was demonstratively snubbed by Vasco midfielder Thiago Mendes. The Brazilian star was left standing with an awkward smile before turning his attention to the match officials.
The tense relationship between Neymar and Mendes dates back to 2020, when Neymar was playing for Paris Saint-Germain.
During a Ligue 1 match against Lyon, Mendes committed a heavy challenge on Neymar, who left the pitch on a stretcher in tears. Following a VAR review, the midfielder was sent off and later received a three-match suspension.
Neymar was diagnosed with an ankle sprain and was sidelined for around a month. His father subsequently strongly criticised Mendes on social media, while the midfielder later claimed that his family had received threats and insults.
Their rivalry flared up again in February this year during Santos' 2-1 victory. Angered by another rough challenge, Neymar became involved in an argument with Mendes and fell to the ground after the Vasco player touched his face.
Both players were shown yellow cards and continued exchanging words during the match, with their previous incident in France again becoming part of the confrontation.
This time, Neymar had the final word on the pitch as Santos secured an emphatic 3-0 victory over Vasco da Gama.
