Neymar Jr. has firmly rejected criticism over his absence from a Santos Copa Sudamericana match, clarifying that he attended a poker tournament in São Paulo on a scheduled rest day. The Brazilian forward's decision to skip the fixture while appearing at the high-profile card game sparked outrage among supporters and media outlets, who questioned his commitment to the club.
Santos had announced that Neymar would not travel with the squad due to ongoing fitness concerns. Having recently returned from recurring injury problems, the club opted to manage his workload carefully during the Copa Sudamericana campaign. The forward's presence at a poker event later that same day, however, triggered a fierce backlash on social media and in the Brazilian press.
Neymar Sets The Record Straight
In his response, Neymar emphasized that he had completed his morning training session before the tournament and stressed that the poker appearance occurred on his designated day off. "I did my morning training. I did not go to the match because I had just started training again. The next day was my day off," he explained, insisting he had adhered fully to Santos' agreed recovery protocol.
The 32-year-old winger dismissed suggestions that leisure activities undermined his professionalism, growing visibly frustrated with the relentless scrutiny. "People have come out and just keep talking about the fact that I play poker," he said, before challenging his critics with a pointed rhetorical question about whether his training itself would now attract complaint.
Injury Struggles Cloud Santos Return
Neymar's return to Santos in 2023, the club where his professional career began, was meant to represent a redemptive chapter. Instead, persistent muscle and ligament injuries have limited his availability and kept him under intense media examination. Combined with a disappointing World Cup performance in 2022, these setbacks eventually led him to withdraw from Brazil's national team setup.
With his fitness still volatile, Santos' cautious approach to his Copa Sudamericana involvement reflects genuine medical concerns rather than lack of commitment. As Neymar continues his rehabilitation, managing both his physical condition and the demands of Brazilian football culture will remain critical to his revival at Peixe.
