Neymar faces investigation after allegedly slapping Robinho's son during training ground fight

Neymar, whose trip to the World Cup 2026 in North America is still not confirmed, finds himself embroiled in a big controversy with just a few weeks to go before the FIFA event. The Brazilian star's club, Santos have launched an investigation against Neymar over the alleged "physical assault" of Robinho Junior during a training session on Sunday.

Robinho Junior is the son of former Brazil forward Robinho, who was once a teammate of Neymar in the national team.

Neymar vs Robinho Junior

Allegedly, Neymar, 34, assaulted Robinho Junior after the 18-year-old dribbled past the former Barcelona footballer during the training session. According to ESPN, Neymar was so angry by Robinho's act that he tripped him, leading to an intense confrontation where both had to be pulled apart.

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"Santos Futebol Clube has become aware of an alleged physical assault committed by a player affiliated with Santos Futebol Clube against another player at the club," a Santos statement read.

"Santos FC announces that, following a decision by the club's board, an internal investigation was launched immediately after the incident to examine the episode involving the players Neymar Jr. and Robson de Souza Jr. [Robinho] during training on Sunday at the Rei Pelé Training Centre. The club's Legal Department is responsible for conducting the investigation."

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The matter has escalated to such an extent that Robinho Junior has reportedly demanded a meeting with the Santos club officials to discuss terminating his contract due to a "lack of minimum safety standards."

The youngster has also accused Neymar of hitting him with a "violent slap" and directing "offensive insults" towards him.

According to ESPN, Neymar tried to make amends by calling Robinho Junior and also apologising to the footballer's family on the phone.

For the unversed, Neymar has not played for Brazil since October 2023 due to injury and fitness issues. And there's a high chance the star footballer would miss the upcoming World Cup as well.