Striker Neymar was left out of the Santos match against Cruzeiro last weekend. The absence was determined by technician Cuca under the justification of workload control. Durante the free period, the player participated in a poker tournament held online from his home. The Spanish newspaper As published a harsh analysis of the athlete’s moment and used the expression “rock bottom” to describe the situation.
Neymar used social media on Monday to clarify the details of the activity. Ele denied having been to any physical location and reinforced that he remained at home throughout the tournament. The player also expressed satisfaction with his own performance at the virtual tables and invited fans to follow the broadcasts.
- Participation took place exclusively online
- Athlete highlighted positive performance in the tournament
- Activity was carried out on days off granted by the club
Reactions in Brazilian football
Marquinhos, captain of the Brazilian team, expressed public support for his teammate. The defender stated that the squad awaits the return of Neymar and praised the unpredictability and talent demonstrated by the attacker in training and matches. Outros important names in national sport also took a stand in defense of number 10.
Romário sent a direct message to coach Carlo Ancelotti. The former player argued that an athlete with the talent of Neymar should not be discarded from Copa of Zico endorsed the general support, but conditioned the call-up on the need for the attacker to regain consistent playing rhythm in the Santos.
Neymar’s current moment coincides with the team’s preparation for friendlies against França and Croácia. Carlo Ancelotti called up 26 players for commitments that serve as part of the team’s structure towards the Mundial in 2026. The attacker’s name was not included in the list released by the coach.
Absence details at Santos
Cuca chose to preserve Neymar from the trip to confront Cruzeiro. The coach cited the high risk of injury given a possible intense sequence of games in a short space of time. The decision occurred even though Santos faced a longer break in the schedule after the match.
Neymar took advantage of his free time to dedicate himself to the activity that he considers one of his favorites off the field. Ele reported having played every day of the tournament and having progressed through the stages until the evening. The athlete mentioned that, at one point, he had to interrupt a trip to the cinema with his family to continue at the virtual table.
Neymar speaks out after news from Leo Dias that the star had played 16 hours of poker from Friday to Sunday:
— Planeta from Futebol 🌎 (@futebol_info)March 23, 2026
“I’m very happy with my performance.”
🎥Reproduçãopic.twitter.com/PMwmmwPpxi
Attacker positioning
The player reinforced that participation was exclusively online and carried out at home. Ele ruled out any travel to physical establishments and asked fans to understand the context of the time off granted by the club. Neymar even shared images of the tournament screens to illustrate his explanation.
The absence from the selection and external criticism reignited discussions about planning the athlete’s career. Figuras history of Brazilian football insists on the importance of keeping Neymar on the national team’s radar. The focus now turns to physical recovery and the gradual return to games for Santos.
Context in preparing the selection
Carlo Ancelotti continues working on assembling the group that will compete for Copa of Mundo. Friendlies against França and Croácia serve as an opportunity to test tactical combinations and observe the performance of the squad. The door remains open for Neymar on future rosters, as per previous signals from the coach.
Santos has carefully managed the striker’s workload since his return to the club. Cuca has repeated that the priority is to avoid new injuries and allow the player to gain rhythm safely. The Santos fans are closely following the physical evolution of the number 10.
Neymar maintains his training routine at the Santos CT. Ele remains focused on recovering the best possible shape to contribute to the team in the next rounds of Campeonato Brasileiro. The episode of the online tournament generated international repercussions, but the athlete tried to clarify the facts directly with his followers.
