Thiago Mendes refused to shake Neymar’s hand before Vasco da Gama vs Santos, a Brazilian Serie A match Santos won 3-0. The tension stems from a 2020 PSG–Lyon tackle and reignited in February, including bookings and harsh words. Neymar’s father also weighed in with a strong post.
Santos’ 3-0 victory over Vasco in the Brazilian Serie A arrived with an unwelcome subplot before a ball was kicked. In the pre-match lineup, Thiago Mendes declined Neymar’s offered handshake, bringing a long-running dispute back into focus on a night that otherwise belonged to Santos.
The refusal, caught in a widely shared clip posted on August 16, 2026, showed the pair separated from the customary greeting moments before Vasco da Gama’s match. The interaction, or lack of one, quickly became the talking point even as the scoreline underlined Santos’ control.
The backdrop stretches to 2020, when Neymar and Mendes first clashed during a Ligue 1 meeting between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon. Neymar was on the end of a heavy challenge that resulted in a red card for Mendes and a post-match apology from the midfielder on social media, where he said he hoped Neymar had not been injured.
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Neymar, later diagnosed with a sprained left ankle, did not directly address Mendes at the time. He expressed relief that the situation was not worse, but the incident lingered and would resurface in domestic football years later.
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Handshake Snub Overshadows Santos’ 3-0 Win
Despite the comprehensive margin, attention in Brazil centered on the handshake line and what it said about the state of relations between the two players. The moment, amplified across platforms (pic twitter com), overshadowed the match narrative and added fresh fuel to a feud that has spanned multiple competitions.
What played out before kick-off followed a year in which tempers had already risen again. This February, the pair crossed paths in Brazilian football and a foul on Neymar became the flashpoint that reignited the earlier confrontation.
Unhappy with the challenge in the first half, Neymar confronted Mendes and a heated exchange followed. The on-field argument continued, and Neymar went to ground after Mendes made contact with his face. Both players were booked as words carried on through the game.
At half-time, Neymar referenced the tackle from six years earlier and accused Mendes of trying to provoke him. Speaking to SporTV, he called Mendes an ‘idiot’, recalled the injury during their time at PSG, and said the midfielder had threatened him again during the match.
From 2020 Tackle To February Flashpoint
"A player makes an irresponsible, violent scissor tackle from the side, going straight through another player’s space, leaving him with no chance to defend himself." Neymar's father wrote on social media.
The comment above was posted on social media by Neymar’s father, underscoring how the 2020 incident still frames perceptions of their exchanges. Neymar himself did not comment on the original clash or mention Mendes by name, focusing then on relief that the injury was not more serious.
With a six-year-old feud now visible again, further meetings between their teams could carry the same edge. The latest refusal to shake hands suggests the tension may persist and could affect team dynamics if the pattern continues.
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