Neymar’s irascible response to Vinicius Jr.’s replacement and Brazil’s disappointing draw against Costa Rica in the 2024 Copa America have gone viral.

Consequently, what happened?

One of the pre-tournament favourites faltered early on in California, as a star-studded team was unable to break the impasse in a scoreless draw with opponents in Group D. Brazil dominated play for extended stretches at SoFi Stadium, putting 19 shots on goal, but they were unable to find a way past.’

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THE LARGER IMAGE

During the last 20 minutes, Selecao manager Dorival Junior made a few substitutions in an attempt to find a goal, starting teenage sensation Endrick in place of Real Madrid star Vinicius. Neymar, the all-time top scorer for his nation, was taken aback by the verdict and raised his hands in s/h/o/c/k.

WERE YOU AWARENESS?

At one point, Neymar was also left staring at nothing while Brazil struggled. Having been ruled out of another attempt at Copa glory due to an unlucky ACL injury sustained while on World Cup qualifying duty in October 2023, the 32-year-old was kicking every ball with his international teammates.

Next?

After travelling to the United States to witness his country compete in a tournament, Neymar has been keeping himself occupied off the pitch. He has won over $500,000 at the poker table. Neymar was present alongside NBA player Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat as Brazil played in Inglewood.