Why Neymar’s bitter rival refused to shake his hand six years after feud first began

The players have known each other for years...

The 34-year-old, returning to club football following La Selecao's World Cup heartbreak against Norway, was left stunned as Thiago Mendes denied the former PSG and Barcelona star, with Neymar's reaction going viral.

WATCH: Neymar ignored by opposition player

The feud between the two, Brazil's record scorer Neymar and Vasco player Mendes, actually began six years when the pair both played in France's Ligue 1.

In a report from GE Globo, a Brazilian outlet, the difficult history between the pair has been laid out.

Back in 2020, while Neymar was still at PSG and Mendes played for Lyon, the pair were involved in an incident that saw Neymar stretchered off with an ankle injury after a scissor tackle from Thiago Mendes, who was later sent off following a VAR review.

@pitchpassport Thiago Mendes injured Neymar with a brutal tackle in 2020, but somehow HE’S the one refusing to shake hands. 😭 Six years later, their beef is still alive… and Thiago ignored Neymar not once, but twice before Vasco vs Santos. 👀🇧🇷 #neymar #santos #futebol #brasil #psg ♬ original sound - Pitch Passport

This was the full story between the two until earlier this year, when they met again in a Brazilian domestic match.

As reported by GE Global, the pair became involved in an extended argument during that game, which eventually led to Neymar calling Mendes a "babaca," a Portuguese insult translated as similar to the English word "jerk."

That altercation appears to have carried over into their latest meeting, with Mendes refusing to shake Neymar's hand before Sunday's match.

It was Neymar's Santos who emerged victorious, however, securing a 3-0 win over Mendes' Vasco da Gama and adding another chapter to their long-running feud.