Thiago Mendes Snubs Neymar's Handshake During Pre-Game Ritual: Why Their 6-Year Feud Still Rages

The Brazilian Serie A drama started before kickoff between Santos and Vasco da Gama as Thiago Mendes snubbed Neymar Jr.'s pre-game handshake. The Santos forward could only look on in shock as Mendes skipped him during the fair-play handshake. Neymar had his hand up the whole time and did a double-take when his hand was ignored.

The snub may not be a surprise to fans who followed the rivalry back in 2020 when both players played Ligue 1 in France. Neymar was then the left winger for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), while Mendes was the defensive midfielder for Lyon.

What Happened Between Neymar and Mendes in 2020?

During a Ligue 1 match between PSG and Lyon, Mendes tackled Neymar so hard that the Brazilian forward had to be stretchered off. Mendes was sent off for the challenge, while Neymar appeared to be in tears as he left the pitch.

The 34-year-old former PSG player suffered a sprained ankle from the tackle. On Instagram, Neymar wrote: 'It could have been worse, but once more, God has saved me from something serious. Now I want to recover and return as soon as possible.'

Mendes, for his part, also shared an apology video on his Instagram account following the game where Lyon won over PSG, 1-0. Mendes apologised to Neymar and wished the injury wasn't serious. Despite the apology, it was revealed that Mendes received death threats from PSG and Neymar fans.

Then-Lyon manager Rudi Garcia told reporters: 'Thiago has received many death threats, and they shouldn't exist. Today, we allow ourselves to easily insult or say horrible things. Thiago Mendes was sent off in Paris. I don't like the buzz around that. He attacked the ball. He was unfortunate that Neymar's foot remained under his buttock.'

The incident also drew a scathing reaction from Neymar's father, Neymar Santos Sr., who posted on social media: 'A player makes an irresponsible, violent scissor tackle from the side, going straight through another player's space, leaving him with no chance to defend himself.'

'We don't measure this over the course of the whole match, when Neymar was subjected to the usual rotation of fouls, always violent ones, and in doing so we keep encouraging this type of player and this kind of behavior. That's really how football will lose out. Until when will the victim be the one blamed?' Santos Sr. also said.

From France to Brazil

The rivalry continued in Brazil where both players are now playing in their home country. Last February, the two had another falling out as Neymar was fouled by Mendes, sparking another confrontation between the pair. The incident led to a heated exchange on the pitch.

At one point, Mendes touched Neymar's face and the latter fell to the ground. Both players were shown yellow cards for the altercation. Neymar had not forgotten what happened six years ago and brought it up during an interview following the argument with Mendes.

'He always wants to start trouble, he always wants to act tough, it's always like that,' Neymar said. 'With all due respect, he's an idiot. He already hurt me once at PSG, he threatened me today, so let's see if he's man enough to hurt me again.'

Santos went on to defeat Vasco da Gama 3-0 at São Januário.