Neymar apologises to Robinho’s son after slapping him in training

Neymar has publicly apologised to Santos teammate Robinho Jr for slapping him during a training session as the Brazilian athletes appear to have put the dispute behind them during a game.

“If you want an apology in front of the press, here it is. I had already apologised to him and to his family. I crossed the line,” Neymar said after Santos’s 1-1 draw against Recoleta in Paraguay on Tuesday.

Santos said they had opened an investigation earlier in the week after the altercation between Neymar and the son of Robinho, the former Real Madrid and Manchester City striker.

According to Brazilian media, the spat occurred because Neymar, the national team’s all-time leading scorer, did not appreciate being dribbled past by his 18-year-old teammate during a training session on Sunday.

Robinho Jr confirmed after the Copa Sudamericana match on Tuesday that Neymar had slapped him but said the incident was over, stating: “Everything is resolved.”

“It’s a situation that upset me because he’s been my idol since childhood. … I talked about it with my parents, and I accept his apology,” he added.

During the match, Neymar scored Santos’s goal and hugged Robinho Jr during the celebration.

“He’s a boy I like very much, for whom I have a special affection. It happens in football; you argue with your friend, your brother,” Neymar said.

Despite recurring physical problems, Neymar, 34, still hopes to be called up by coach Carlo Ancelotti for this year’s World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19 . He has not played for Brazil since October 2023.

Ancelotti is due to name his final squad on May 18 .

A former teammate of Neymar at Santos, Robinho, 42, is currently imprisoned in Brazil after being convicted in Italy and receiving a prison sentence for gang rape.