Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, recently made headlines by joking about Neymar’s current situation in the national football team. During a conversation with a child, Lula referred to Neymar as the “first remote national team footballer.”
While discussing who the best Brazilian footballer is at the moment, the child mentioned Neymar. Lula seized the opportunity to add a humorous remark, stating, “Neymar? But he’s not even playing right now!” He further noted that he had come across a joke online suggesting that Neymar was the first player called up to the national team “on remote.”
Lula clarified that the humorous phrase wasn’t his own creation but rather something he had seen on social media. Continuing with the light-hearted remarks, he suggested that if Neymar’s absence continues, Brazil might need to consider assembling a national team using artificial intelligence to field “11 Pelés.”
This playful critique comes in light of Neymar’s recent injury, which has prevented him from participating in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Morocco. Despite being included in Brazil’s squad, he was unable to play as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.