Neymar has apologised to Santos teammate Robinho Júnior after striking him during a training session, with the two players appearing to resolve the matter publicly during a fixture on Tuesday.
The Guardian reports that Santos opened an investigation following the altercation, which involved Neymar and the 18-year-old son of former Real Madrid and Manchester City forward Robinho. Neymar, who is 34, acknowledged his conduct in terms the Guardian summarised as an admission that he had crossed a line.
The reconciliation appeared visible during the match itself, when Neymar was photographed embracing the teenager following a Santos goal — a gesture that suggested the two had moved past the incident, at least in the immediate sense. Whether the club's internal investigation will continue to a formal conclusion remains unclear.
The episode is a notable one for Santos, a club navigating a complicated period that has included Neymar's return to the Vila Belmiro after years abroad. Robinho Júnior is among the younger talents in their squad, and the involvement of his father — a figure well known from his time in European football — gives the story a particular weight beyond the training ground.
Altercations in training are not uncommon at professional clubs, and most are resolved quietly. That Santos chose to open a formal investigation suggests the incident was considered serious enough to warrant institutional scrutiny rather than informal resolution. Neymar's public apology may ease that process, though the club has not indicated it will close the inquiry on that basis.
For Neymar, the incident is another moment in a return to Brazilian football that has been watched closely. His time away from the pitch through injury and his subsequent performances have meant that off-field episodes carry an outsized significance. A swift, public acknowledgement of fault is, in that context, a more transparent response than might have been expected.