Brazil President jokes Neymar is 'working remotely' at World Cup

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva quipped that star forward Neymar is the "first player in the world to be called up to the national side and be working remotely," highlighting the player's current sidelined status.

Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, only rejoined the squad at the World Cup in the United States this week as he recovered from a calf injury. The 34-year-old missed Brazil's opening 1-1 draw against Morocco and was also excluded from the lineup for their second group game against Haiti.

“

the first player in the world to be called up to the national side and be working remotely

During a ceremony in Belo Horizonte, President Lula responded to a young boy mentioning Neymar's name by saying, "Neymar? He is not even playing!" He then added, "Neymar is the first player to be called up (to the national team) who is working remotely."

“

Neymar? He is not even playing!

Lula, who has been in a jovial mood since Brazil's first match, had previously joked about signing Argentinian star Lionel Messi for Brazil. Neymar suffered a calf injury in late May and has played in only half of his club Santos' games this year due to various fitness issues.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti and his staff appear hesitant to rush Neymar's return, potentially compromising his availability for later stages of the tournament, according to Brazilian media. While Neymar trained with his teammates for the first time on Wednesday, his inclusion in the squad had caused some surprise given his recent string of injuries. Brazil's final group stage match is scheduled against Scotland on June 24 in Miami.

“

Neymar is the first player to be called up (to the national team) who is working remotely