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Neymar Jr. fired back forcefully at the wave of criticism directed at him for attending a poker tournament last week, telling his critics to "mind your own business."
It didn't take long for Neymar to find himself at the center of controversy once again following his return to Brazil after a disappointing 2026 World Cup in North America. The 34-year-old star took part in the Brazilian poker championship on Tuesday, the very same night Santos traveled to Venezuela to take on Universidad Central in the Copa Sudamericana knockout playoff first leg.
Santos came back home with a commanding 4–1 victory, virtually securing their spot in the round of 16. Nevertheless, Neymar's absence from the match and his appearance at the poker event dominated the headlines. The backlash against Santos's star player was fierce, prompting him to release a video two days later in which he made his stance unmistakably clear.
"I was here getting ready for my second training session and I remembered that, on my day off, a lot of people started talking about me going to play poker," a visibly irritated Neymar said. "I trained in the morning, skipped the match, and then came back to training. I was resting.
"But people keep talking regardless. I'm getting ready to train. Am I allowed to train, or are they going to criticize me for that too? Mind your own business," Neymar concluded, slamming his phone in frustration. He also shared photos on Instagram from the poker tournament, captioning the post with: "Life is a joke."
Neymar rejoined Santos for training on Friday, July 17 after taking a brief break following Brazil's World Cup elimination — four days before his poker tournament appearance. Since then, he has been following a personalized training regimen focused on building his fitness to ensure he returns in top condition. It was actually Santos head coach Cuca who chose to leave Neymar out of the squad that made the trip to Venezuela for last Tuesday's fixture.
"[Santos] are playing four games in 10 days, what's the benefit of bringing him along?" Cuca said of Neymar after Tuesday's match.
"Since he had been sidelined for a few days and hadn't had a proper holiday," Cuca added. "We decided to let him build up his strength further, training hard so he could string together a run of games."
What's Next For Neymar Jr?
Neymar is back at Santos following his announcement of retirement from the Brazilian national team. The all-time top scorer for La Seleção wore the iconic yellow jersey for the last time in a 2–1 round of 16 loss to Norway at the 2026 World Cup, netting a late consolation from the penalty spot.
The 2026 World Cup had been Neymar's guiding ambition ever since he made his return to Santos at the beginning of 2025. With that chapter now closed and his international career officially behind him, Neymar's future remains uncertain.
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The iconic No. 10 did sign a six-month extension with Santos running through the end of the 2026 season, but what comes after remains unclear. Retiring before his 35th birthday, embarking on a new adventure at another club, or remaining at Santos are all possibilities on the table.
Those decisions will be answered once the season wraps up. For now, Cuca has confirmed he expects Neymar to feature in the squad as Santos host relegation-threatened Chapecoense on Sunday in Brazil's Serie A, aiming to pick up three points that would help El Peixe push further clear of the drop zone.