Neymar was absolutely slammed last Tuesday for hitting up a poker tournament, and honestly, the timing was wild. This all went down just hours before his club, Peixe, took the field for the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana round-of-16 playoff against UCV. Santos ended up winning that game 4-1, but that didn’t stop the noise.
Neymar Fired Back Hard
Our guy, the star wearing the No. 10 shirt, wasn’t having any of it. This Thursday, Neymar took to social media and delivered a swift, direct hit back at all the criticism. He posted a 32-second video on his Instagram stories, straight from the gym, sipping an energy drink. He laid it all out, explaining that he was playing poker because he had the day off. The kicker? He wrapped it up with a totally ironic question, asking, “Can I train or are you going to keep complaining too?”
He wasn’t done there either. Neymar doubled down, saying, “I was here getting ready for my second training session, and I remembered that on my day off a lot of people were talking about me playing poker and this and that… I worked in the morning, I didn’t go to the match because I’ve only just returned to training and, the next day, I was off. People keep talking, right… Anyway, now I’m here getting ready for training. Now I want to ask you: ‘Can I train or are you going to keep complaining too?’ Go mind your own business!” That’s a mic drop moment if I’ve ever heard one. It’s clear he’s ready to focus and isn’t letting the outside noise get to him.
The Context: World Cup Hangover and a Big Return
Let’s be real, the man has been through a lot lately. He’s only just returned to training, and that’s after being a huge part of Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. That tournament ended way too early for Brazil, with a crushing 2-1 defeat to Norway in the round of 16, putting them at 11th place overall. Neymar did score Brazil’s consolation goal in stoppage time during that match, which was his only goal in the entire tournament. So yeah, he’s been through the wringer, and he’s just trying to get back into form. Maybe a day off to clear his head, even if it’s with cards, is exactly what he needed.
Now, everyone’s watching to see what happens next. Neymar is expected to make his Brasileirão return this coming Saturday (25). He’s set to take on Chapecoense at Vila Belmiro in the 20th round. After all this drama, you know he’s going to be fired up and ready to prove himself on the pitch. Get ready for an absolute show!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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