SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — Neymar has apologized for a red card that he says cost Santos a victory in the Brazilian league, claiming that “desperation” to score led to the mistake in what could be his final match with the club.
Neymar was sent off in the 76th minute of Santos’ 1-0 loss to Botafogo at home on Sunday after using his hand to score a goal.
Neymar’s contract with Santos ends at the end of June and Santos plays only one more league game before the break for the Club World Cup. Since Neymar is suspended for the next match and there’s still no deal to extend his contract, he may not play for the club again in this stint.
Realizing he was not going to reach the ball with his head before a defender could clear it away, Neymar used his right hand to push the ball into the net. The Brazil forward already had a yellow card and was shown his second by the referee, which immediately disallowed the goal. Botafogo then scored the winner in the 86th.
“Desperation to score a goal sometimes leads to mistakes,” Neymar said on Instagram. “I want to apologize to my teammates and to the fans. I made a mistake, forgive me. If I hadn’t been sent off, I’m sure we would have gotten the three points. Congratulations to the team for today’s game. You can put these three points on my account.”
Neymar did not have a problem with the second yellow but complained about the first one, which came for a foul late in the first half.
“The second yellow card has to be shown, but the referee has to be kidding about the first one,” he said. “It’s one foul and I’m already being shown a yellow.”
“It’s incredible how many bad referees there are out there. That’s my opinion, please don’t punish me even more,” he said, along with a laughing-face emoji.
Santos has only two wins in 11 league matches this year and sits in 18th-place in the 20-team standings, inside the relegation zone.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Brazil's Neymar walk onto the pitch during his debut for Santos FC in a Sao Paulo league soccer match against Botafogo-SP, in Santos, Brazil, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, file)
NEW YORK (AP) — Incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani took his midnight oath of office on a centuries-old Quran, marking the first time a mayor of New York City uses Islam’s holy text to be sworn in and underscoring a series of historic firsts for the city.
The 34-year-old Democrat became mayor in a long-closed subway station beneath City Hall, the first Muslim, first South Asian and first African-born person to hold that position.
These milestones — as well as the historical Quran — reflect the longstanding and vibrant Muslim residents of the nation's most populous city, according to a scholar who helped Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, select one of the books.
Most of Mamdani's predecessors were sworn in on a Bible, although the oath to uphold the federal, state and city constitutions does not require the use of any religious text.
And while he has focused heavily on the issue of affordability during his campaign, Mamdani was outspoken about his Muslim faith. He frequently appeared at mosques across the five boroughs as he built a base of support that included many first-time South Asian and Muslim voters.
Two Qurans were to be used during the subway ceremony: his grandfather's Quran and a pocket-sized version that dates back to the late 18th or early 19th century. It is part of the collection at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
That copy of the Quran symbolizes the diversity and reach of the city's Muslims, said Hiba Abid, the library's curator for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
“It’s a small Quran, but it brings together elements of faith and identity in New York City history,” Abid said.
For a subsequent swearing-in ceremony at City Hall on the first day of the year, Mamdani will use both his grandfather's and grandmother's Qurans. The campaign hasn't offered more details on those heirlooms.
The manuscript was acquired by Arturo Schomburg, a Black Puerto Rican historian whose collection documented the global contributions of people of African descent. While it is unclear how Schomburg came into possession of the Quran, scholars believe it reflected his interest in the historical relationship between Islam and Black cultures in the United States and across Africa.
Unlike ornate religious manuscripts associated with royalty or elites, the copy of the Quran that Mamdani will use is modest in design. It has a deep red binding with a simple floral medallion and is written in black and red ink. The script is plain and readable, suggesting it was created for everyday use rather than ceremonial display.
Those features indicate the manuscript was intended for ordinary readers, Abid said, a quality she described as central to its meaning.
“The importance of this Quran lies not in luxury, but in accessibility,” she said.
Because the manuscript is undated and unsigned, scholars relied on its binding and script to estimate when it was produced, placing it sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century during the Ottoman period in a region that includes what is now Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan.
Abid said the manuscript’s journey to New York mirrors Mamdani’s own layered background. Mamdani is a South Asian New Yorker who was born in Uganda, while Duwaji is American-Syrian.
The meteoric rise of a Muslim democratic socialist also brought a surge of Islamophobic rhetoric, amplified by national attention on the race.
In an emotional speech days before the election, Mamdani said the hostility had only strengthened his resolve to be visible about his faith.
“I will not change who I am, how I eat, or the faith that I’m proud to call my own,” he said. “I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light.”
The decision to use a Quran has drawn fresh criticism from some conservatives. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama wrote on social media, “The enemy is inside the gates,” in response to a news article about Mamdani’s inauguration. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil-rights group, has designated Tuberville as an anti-Muslim extremist based on past statements.
Such backlash is not new. In 2006, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, faced condemnation from conservatives after he chose to use a Quran for his ceremonial oath.
Following the inauguration, the Quran will go on public display at the New York Public Library. Abid said she hopes attention surrounding the ceremony — whether supportive or critical — will prompt more people to explore the library’s collections documenting Islamic life in New York, ranging from early 20th century Armenian and Arabic music recorded in the city to firsthand accounts of Islamophobia after the Sept. 11 attacks.
“This manuscript was meant to be used by ordinary readers when it was produced,” Abid said. “Today it lives in a public library where anyone can encounter it.”
Associated Press writers Jake Offenhartz in New York and Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed.
This photo provided by The New York Public Library shows the Schomburg Quran on Dec. 16, 2025 in New York. (Jonathan Blanc/The New York Public Library via AP)
This photo provided by The New York Public Library shows the Schomburg Quran on Dec. 16, 2025 in New York. (Jonathan Blanc/The New York Public Library via AP)
Zohran Mamdani is sworn in as mayor of New York City at Old City Hall Station, New York, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Amir Hamja/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
Zohran Mamdani hugs his wife Rama Duwaji after he is sworn in as mayor of New York City at Old City Hall Station, New York, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Amir Hamja/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
Attorney General Letitia James, center, arrives for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's swearing-in ceremony, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in New York. (Amir Hamja/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
