SAO PAULO, March 11 -- Neymar faced criticism for skipping a semifinal with Santos after being spotted at Carnival last week.

On Sunday, Santos were defeated 2-1 by their long-time rivals Corinthians in the semifinals of the Sao Paulo state championship, with Neymar remaining on the bench for the entire match. The following day, he stated he had a minor injury but did not provide further details.

A few days prior, the striker was photographed at Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome, the iconic venue for the lavish Carnival parade.

Having rejoined his childhood club Santos in January, Neymar attended the Carnival parade just hours after being substituted in the second half of another Sao Paulo state championship match on March 2 due to what appe...