Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recently took a playful jab at football star Neymar during an interaction with citizens, an incident that has since garnered attention. Lula referred to Neymar as the “first remote national team footballer.”
The exchange occurred when Lula asked a child who they believed was the best Brazilian footballer currently. When the child named Neymar, the president humorously replied, “Neymar? But he’s not even playing right now!” He then shared that he had seen a joke online suggesting Neymar had become the world’s first player called up to the national team “on remote.”
Lula clarified that the phrase was not originally his but something he genuinely came across online. He continued with his lighthearted commentary, suggesting that if injuries persist, Brazil might eventually need to create a national team utilizing artificial intelligence to field “11 Pelés.”
The humor stems from Neymar’s current situation with the 2026 World Cup. Although named in Brazil’s squad, the forward missed the opening match against Morocco due to injury, which ended in a 1-1 draw.