"It is bad for football" - Neymar hits out at fan after getting hit by a bag of popcorn after Brazil's 1-1 draw with Venezuela
Neymar has spoken out against the fan who hit him with a bag of popcorn following Brazil's 1-1 draw with Venezuela in the World Cup Qualifiers.
The fan threw the popcorn at the forward as he was on his way towards the tunnel following the end of the game, catching him on the side of his head.
It drew an angry reaction from him but he was cajoled by his teammates and eventually taken down the tunnel.
You can watch the clip below:
Speaking to TNT Sports Brazil after the game, Neymar said how he felt in the moment he got hit:
"I didn't even see what it was, but when it hit me, I got nervous.
"I condemn this kind of attitude. It shouldn't be done, it is bad for football, for human beings. A person who does this kind of thing is not an educated person and will not be able to educate a child in the best possible way."
The Al Hilal forward also mentioned the hard work him and other professionals put in to be footballers, inviting the fan to do the same, given his frustrations:
"Obviously we were on the pitch giving our best, and many times the result doesn't come, it's not what the fans expect.
"If he complains so much he should have trained better and been on the pitch himself instead of me."
The 1-1 draw against Venezuela was not an ideal result, but Neymar bagged an assist as he set up Gabriel Magalhaes' first goal for the national team.
Brazil will next face Uruguay on Tuesday as they are gearing up for a tough fight from their opponents.
Taking a look at Neymar's impressive stats for Brazil
Neymar made his debut for his country aged just 18 back in 2010 against USA in a friendly and even scored on debut. Since then, he has achieved great things for Brazil and is even their all-time top goalscorer, eclipsing the legendary Pele.
In 127 appearances for his country, Neymar has scored 79 goals and has provided 59 assists. He averages more than one goal contribution per game, which is remarkable considering the number of years he has been active for his nation.
At just 31 years of age, the forward surely has more in the tank and could even reach a century of goals for Brazil.
However, having moved away from the highest level of club football this summer, it remains to be seen how long he can be his national team's main man.