Does Neymar love his sister’s birthdays more than football?

The Brazilian has done this before at Barcelona and PSG.

Brazilian forward Neymar remained on the bench during the Paulista League semi-final between Santos and Corinthians, supposedly due to injury. His hometown club lost and was eliminated from the competition. Nothing unusual, perhaps — except Neymar’s sister celebrates her birthday on March 11.

Ever since his return to Brazilian football, rumors have been swirling. Neymar’s home club lost and dropped out of the tournament. Coincidentally, Neymar’s sister celebrates her birthday on March 11.

Following Neymar's move back to Brazil, rumors emerged about his possible return to Barcelona. The club's manager, Hans Flick, was skeptical about this prospect, and Barcelona’s sporting director Deco seemed to close the door on a potential return entirely.

According to Sport.es, Deco had several reasons for rejecting Neymar's return. First, the club believes Neymar could negatively influence younger players. Secondly, Neymar had previously decided against continuing his career in Catalonia.

It appears Neymar isn't prioritizing football at his hometown club Santos either. His team recently lost 2-1 against Corinthians in the Paulista League semi-final, resulting in elimination from the tournament. Neymar, now 33, claimed he was injured.

"All I wanted was to be on the field today and somehow help my teammates," Neymar explained afterward. "But last Thursday, I suffered an injury."

However, some remain skeptical, given that March 11 is the birthday of Neymar’s sister, Rafaella, who turns 29 this year. For Neymar, this date seems sacred.

Fans first noted this pattern in 2015, when Neymar was suspended around the same date. In subsequent years at Barcelona, similar situations occurred — either through injuries or suspensions — that conveniently coincided with Rafaella's birthday, fueling suspicion among fans.

At PSG, Neymar continued this trend, suffering injuries near March 11 almost every year. This suspicious pattern was only briefly interrupted in 2020, before returning in 2021. Even during his final years at PSG, the situation repeated itself.

During his recent stint at Santos, the forward has again found himself sidelined exactly during the same period, reinforcing fan suspicions that football may not be Neymar's top priority when his sister’s birthday approaches.

Published by Patrick Jane
11.03.2025