Neymar's excuse for missing a semifinal with Santos was criticized because he was seen at Carnival last week. Santos lost to archrival Corinthians 2-1 on Sunday in the semifinals of the Sao Paulo state championship,

Neymar did not feature for Santos in Sunday's 2-1 semifinal defeat at Corinthians because of ongoing "discomfort" in his left thigh.

After Santos were eliminated by Corinthians, missing the chance to secure an early trophy, Neymar addressed his absence with an injury update.

Neymar missed his side's game against Corinthians. His absence did affect Santos, who were eliminated from the competition.

A Neymar-less Santos was defeated 2-1 in the Paulista Championship semifinals by a solid Corinthians team, ending a four-game winning streak for Santos. Neymar spent the match on the bench due to a minor thigh issue,