FIFA World Cup 2026: Brazil President Lula jokes about Neymar's absence, calls him 'work from home player'
Belo Horizonte, June 21
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva created some flutter as he joked about Neymar's injury-related absence from his country's first two matches in the World Cup with head coach Carlo Ancelotti in the process of determining if the star forward will be among the starting 11 in the team's final Group C match against Scotland, according to Reuters.
Speaking at an event in Belo Horizonte to announce new investments in Brazil's public healthcare system, Lula was asked by a young audience member about the best player in the national team. When the child responded with Neymar's name, the President indulged in mocking banter.
"Neymar isn't even playing, man. Neymar is the world's first 'work-from-home' national team player. A work-from-home player," Lula laughed, as per Reuters.
"I saw that (joke) on the internet yesterday. Any day now, they'll have to put together a national team using artificial intelligence -- eleven Peles," he added.
The remarks came as Neymar continues his recovery from a calf injury that has kept him out of Brazil's opening two matches at the tournament. The 34-year-old was not part of the team that saw 1-1 draw against Morocco and 3-0 victory over Haiti.
Rather than travelling with the squad for the Haiti match in Philadelphia, Neymar remained at Brazil's training base in New Jersey, where he has been following an individual rehabilitation programme in a bid to return for Wednesday's encounter with Scotland.
The forward resumed on-field work on Saturday, taking part in physical and ball drills alongside defender Alex Sandro, who has also been sidelined through injury.
Despite the progress, Neymar's availability remains uncertain. Ancelotti said after the Haiti victory that the veteran attacker would be reintegrated into the squad ahead of the Scotland match, with a final decision expected after training sessions on Monday and Tuesday.
Brazil, well placed in Group C after four points from two matches, will have a major boost if their number 10 is cleared to return as they look to secure qualification for the knockout stages.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a football fan from India, I find this really disrespectful coming from a president. Imagine our PM mocking a player's injury? Neymar has given so much to Brazilian football. He deserves better than being made fun of by the head of state.
Work from home player 😂😂 That's gold! But seriously, Brazil without Neymar still looks strong. They drew with Morocco and thrashed Haiti. Ancelotti knows what he's doing. If Neymar comes back, great. If not, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo can handle it.
I think Lula was just being light-hearted, but timing matters. Neymar is probably already frustrated about missing games. A president should uplift players, not mock them. That said, the AI team joke was clever 😄
People are too sensitive. Lula is just having fun at an event with kids. Neymar is a big boy, he can handle a little banter. And honestly, with the money he's making, being called 'work from home' is pretty accurate! India needs this kind of humor in our politics.
The AI comment about 'eleven Peles' was actually pretty smart. But this whole thing shows how differently football is treated in Brazil vs India. Here in India, you can have a career-ending injury and nobody cares. Over there, even the president is tracking Neymar's recovery.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.