In a lighthearted remark, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva quipped that star forward Neymar may be the first player in history to be called up for national duty while effectively telecommuting. The comment came during a ceremony at a hospital in Belo Horizonte, located in the southeastern region of the country.
Neymar, aged 34 and Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 international goals, has been sidelined by a calf injury. He only resumed training with the squad earlier this week after recovering from the setback.
The Selecao’s campaign began with a 1-1 stalemate against Morocco, a match Neymar missed entirely. Furthermore, manager Carlo Ancelotti has decided to leave him out of the squad for the second group stage fixture against Haiti, scheduled for Saturday.
When a young boy mentioned Neymar’s name during the event, Lula responded with a grin: “Neymar? He is not even playing!” Continuing the jest, the president added, “Neymar is the first player to be called up (to the national team) who is working remotely.”