At 34, Neymar returned to the pitch with Santos after the World Cup and held nothing back following criticism of his performance at the tournament.
Days earlier, he had been torn apart on social media for playing in a poker tournament in São Paulo while his team was playing in the Copa Sudamericana without him in Caracas.
So when he opened the scoring against Chapecoense, he did not celebrate as usual: he put his hands to his face, pretending to deal cards and, according to O Globo, gave the fans in the stands a “suck it”.
The match ended 2-2, Neymar scored the second from the penalty spot in the 89th minute, but what lingered was that gesture. An unfiltered response, with the pitch in between, to everyone who doubted him.