Brazil's President Lula da Silva has jokingly referred to superstar footballer Neymar as a 'work from home' player due to his absence from the FIFA World Cup 2026. While Neymar recovers from a calf injury, coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed he will return for the final group stage match against Scotland.
Brazil's President Lula da Silva has taken a friendly dig at superstar footballer Neymar, calling him a 'work from home' player. The Brazilian star is yet to play a match in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026.
Ahead of the prestigious football tournament, Neymar suffered an injury setback after sustaining a grade two calf injury in late May 2026. Due to injury, the 33-year-old missed Brazil's first two group stage matches against Morocco and Haiti. Although the Brazilian star returned to training, he was ruled out of the previous match against Haiti.
Neymar's injury has sparked widespread conversation back in Brazil. While the 34-year-old sat out the opening 1-1 draw against Morocco and the subsequent 3-0 victory over Haiti, his absence has turned into a major talking point. Rather than travelling with the squad to Philadelphia, the Brazilian stayed back at the team's camp base in New Jersey to undergo an intensive rehabilitation program, reportedly training twice a day.
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Brazilian President Trolls Neymar
As Neymar's participation in the final group C fixture against Scotland and the potential knockout stages, the Brazilian president Lula da Silva took a hilarious dig at the superstar forward, comparing his current recovery process to remote corporate work.
During an interaction with the crowd, Lula asked a young kid about the best player in Brazil, to which he responded, saying, ‘Neymar’. The Brazilian President reminded him that the star player is not playing because he is injured, jokingly labelling him a 'work from home' footballer. The video went viral on social media.
"But my friend, Neymar, isn't playing at all right now. He's the world's first home office player," Lula said.
"This is a joke I saw on the internet the other day. If things go on like this, one day we'll have to use artificial intelligence to create a national team with 11 Peles," he added.
Will Neymar Feature in Final Group Clash vs Scotland
Neymar is likely playing his final FIFA World Cup, as the injuries have continuously hampered his international appearances. The 34-year-old wasn't part of the preliminary squad before he was included in the final 26-member list for the mega-event. However, a grade two calf injury sustained in late May has kept him sidelined for the first two matches against Morocco and Haiti.
However, Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Neymar will play Brazil's group stage fixture against Scotland, which will take place on Thursday, June 25.
"Neymar will be training tomorrow individually, and on Monday, he's going to be training with the rest of the team," Ancelotti said in a post-match presentation.
"He will be available for the match against Scotland," he added.
Neymar is an all-time top goal scorer for the Brazilian national team. The 34-year-old has scored 79 goals in 129 matches. His career has been plagued by injuries, causing him to miss many important matches and tournaments, and this is expected to be his last World Cup. He currently plays for the Brazilian club Santos.
