DistantNews
Support us
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Sports

Neymar is 'working remotely' at World Cup, jokes Brazil president

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva joked that star player Neymar is the first national team call-up to work remotely.
  • Neymar is recovering from a calf injury and missed Brazil's first two World Cup games, with coaches reluctant to rush his return.
  • The 34-year-old forward, Brazil's record goalscorer, has been plagued by fitness issues this year.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva playfully remarked that Neymar is the first national team player to be called up while working remotely. The star forward is currently recovering from a calf injury sustained in late May.

Neymar missed Brazil's opening World Cup draw against Morocco and was also sidelined for their second group game against Haiti. Coaches are reportedly hesitant to rush his return, fearing it could compromise his availability for later stages of the tournament.

The 34-year-old, who is Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, has been hampered by various fitness problems this year, featuring in only half of his club Santos' matches. Despite his injury concerns, he trained with his teammates for the first time on Wednesday. His inclusion in the World Cup squad had raised some eyebrows due to his recent injury record.

Neymar? He is not even playing! Neymar is the first player to be called up (to the national team) who is working remotely.

— Luiz Inacio Lula da SilvaBrazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva joked about Neymar's situation during a ceremony in Belo Horizonte.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog