It’s rare for a superstar like Neymar to lose a match in embarrassing fashion. However, Sunday featured him and Santos FC suffer a brutal 6-0 defeat to Vasco da Gama.
The game was initially competitive as Vasco scored the opening goal in the 18th minute of the first half. Neymar created plenty of shots that kept the opposing defense on their heels, but his Santos teammates weren’t able to capitalize with goals.
Even though the score was 1-0 at halftime, the second half was where the going got tough. Vasco scored five goals from the 46th minute to the 68th minute, overwhelming the Santos defenders whenever they committed a mistake.
Phillipe Coutinho shined with his performance, scoring both of his goals in the second half. His two strikes came from the counter as he pulled off chip shots over Santos’ goalkeeper.
Neymar reflected on the loss after the game, which turned out to be the worst of his professional career. He expressed disappointment while understanding why fans protested how the team played throughout the match.
“I’m ashamed. I’m totally disappointed with our performance. The fans have every right to protest, obviously without using violence … But if they want to curse and insult, they’re in their right,” Neymar said post-match via ESPN.
“It’s a feeling of extreme shame. I’ve never experienced this in my life. Unfortunately, it happened. The tears were from anger, from everything. Unfortunately, I can’t help in every way. Anyway, it was total s—, that’s the reality.”
What’s Next For Neymar, Santos
GettyNeymar of Santos and Rayan of Vasco da Gama fight for the ball during a Brasileirao 2025 match between Santos and Vasco da Gama at MorumBIS Stadium on August 17, 2025 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)
Neymar never lost a match this bad in his career. Even though he wasn’t at fault for the six goals Santos gave up, he does share a part of the embarrassment as they weren’t able to put the ball in the net at all.
The defeat prompted the Santos board to fire manager Cleber Xavier from his position. They appear to understand the importance of having the club be competing for tournament appearance in the top flight, making losses like the one against Vasco unacceptable.
Santos fell to a record of six wins, 10 losses and three draws on the season. They have 21 points at the moment, holding the 15th spot of the Brazilian League Serie A standings. They are one point behind Corinthians and two points behind Gremio.
This puts them as risk of relegation, which involves places 17 through 20. While they are capable of bounding back, they must do so in a consistent manner to avoid demotion to the second league. For Neymar, that will be a high priority for the club he represented in his early years.
Another good sign for the Brazilian star is that he seems to have regained his form. He is playing full matches consistently, something he hasn’t done in the last two years due to injury. If he can keep that up, then he is in a great position to play for Brazil in the World Cup Qualifiers in September.
Until then, he and Santos will look to bounce back in their next match, being on the road. They face Bahia on Aug. 24 at 3 p.m. ET.
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