Neymar is the most-fouled player in the BR since returning to Brazil

Neymar is the most-fouled player in the BR since returning to Brazil

That Neymar is always upset with the refereeing is nothing new!

But if we told you that, since the star returned to Santos in 2025, he has been the player who suffers the most fouls in the Brasileirão, would that be a surprise?

According to a survey by Gato Mestre, the data team at ge, Neymar was not only the most "hunted" player in the Brasileirão last year, but has also seen that number rise considerably this season.

In the 2025 edition, the star suffered 68 fouls in 20 matches, finishing the year with an average of 3.4 fouls received per game.

In 2026, those numbers have gone up.

In just five Série A matches played so far, Neymar has already suffered 22 fouls, which raises his average to an impressive 4.4 fouls per game.

The player who comes closest to the Santos star in both seasons is Cruzeiro midfielder Matheus Pereira.

Last year, the Cruzeiro player averaged 3.26 fouls/game, and in the current edition he is up to 4.2 fouls/game.

The high number of physical challenges has driven the star mad in recent weeks:

Against Remo, Neymar suffered half of all the fouls committed by the Pará side (7 out of 14).

Angry in the closing stages because of the constant rough play, the No. 10 complained harshly to the referee, was shown a yellow card, and did not face Flamengo.

Against Atlético-MG, in the last round, Ney was the player who took the most punishment on the pitch, suffering five fouls throughout the match.

The statistic worries Santos and the player himself because of his physical condition. Neymar, 34, has been training with workload control and has as his main goal wearing the Brazil national team shirt again at the 2026 World Cup.

The race against time, however, is now his biggest opponent.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti will announce the final 26-man squad on May 18.

Until then, Neymar will have at most nine matches in a Santos shirt to prove he is fit to play in the World Cup.

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