27 February 2026
Brazilian star Neymar da Silva, of Santos, imitated the famous celebration of his compatriot Vinicius Junior, the Real Madrid star.
Vinicius Junior sparked widespread controversy with his celebration after scoring his two goals in Real Madrid's victory over Benfica in the Champions League playoff round.
Vinicius celebrated by dancing next to the corner flag in a manner that Benfica fans considered provocative. Neymar then showed his support for his compatriot by imitating the same celebration after scoring a brace that led his team, Santos, to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Vasco da Gama early Friday morning in the fourth round of the Brazilian league.
Neymar opened the scoring for Santos in the 25th minute, but Juan Barros equalized for Vasco. Neymar then scored his second goal in the 61st minute.
Vinicius Junior increased his Champions League tally this season to three goals in 10 appearances, in addition to providing six assists. This brings his total for Real Madrid in the European competition to 32 goals and 27 assists.
