• Brazil's Superior Court of Sports Justice handed Neymar a two-match suspension after he covered his mouth during an on-pitch confrontation
• The Santos captain was already serving a yellow card suspension, meaning the ban extends his absence to three consecutive matches
• Neymar also attempted to confront Bahia's bench after his dismissal, with teammates forced to restrain him

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Neymar Junior has received a two-match ban from Brazil's Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) after the Santos captain covered his mouth during a heated exchange with Bahia midfielder Rodrigo Nestor in a Brazilian Serie A fixture.

The incident unfolded during Saturday's 1-1 draw, when Neymar was dismissed following a VAR review of his conduct during the confrontation.

Why Neymar has been banned in Brazil

According to Al Jazeera, the STJD issued its ruling on Wednesday, October 28, determining that the 34-year-old had breached what is widely referred to as the Vinicius Junior rule, a regulation targeting players who conceal their mouths during on-field disputes.

The referee's report detailed that Neymar did not stop at being sent off.

After his dismissal, he moved towards the Bahia bench in an apparent attempt to reach Nestor, and his own teammates had to step in to pull him away.

Because the two-match suspension runs alongside an existing ban for collecting three yellow cards, Neymar will be absent for Santos' next three matches in total.

Both the player and the club have the right to challenge the disciplinary ruling through an appeal.

Watch the moment Neymar covered his mouth, as shared on X:

The rule and its origins

The Vinicius Junior rule draws its name from efforts to prevent players from hiding potentially discriminatory or abusive language behind their hands during confrontations.

In April, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved an amendment to the laws of the game permitting competition organisers to sanction such behaviour with a red card.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward is not anticipated to feature for Santos again until late November, a significant blow to his campaign in the Brazilian top flight following his return to the club.

Paraguay star receives bizarre red card at World Cup

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Miguel Almiron was sent off during Paraguay’s 2026 World Cup match after covering his mouth during a heated exchange with a Türkiye player on June 26.

The dismissal followed an IFAB rule targeting players who conceal potentially inappropriate remarks during confrontations.