{"id":2534,"date":"2026-06-20T21:10:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T21:10:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reliablemovingcrews.com\/?p=2534"},"modified":"2026-06-20T21:10:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T21:10:36","slug":"lula-mocks-work-from-home-neymar-as-brazil-wait-on-injured-number-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reliablemovingcrews.com\/?p=2534","title":{"rendered":"Lula mocks ‘work-from-home’ Neymar as Brazil wait on injured number 10"},"content":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK, June 20 (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva poked fun at Neymar’s injury-hit World Cup, calling the absent forward the \u200bnational team’s first “work-from-home” player as Carlo Ancelotti waits to see whether \u200chis number 10 can return against Scotland.<\/div>
Speaking at an event in Belo Horizonte announcing oncology investments for Brazil’s public health system, Lula asked a boy in the \u200baudience who he thought was the best player in the national \u200bteam.<\/div>
“Neymar,” the child replied, prompting a quick answer by the \u2060president.<\/div>
“Neymar isn’t even playing, man. Neymar is the world’s first ‘work-from-home’ national \u200bteam player. A work-from-home player,” Lula laughed.<\/div>
“I saw that (joke) on the internet yesterday. \u200bAny day now, they’ll have to put together a national team using artificial intelligence \u2014 eleven Peles.”<\/div>
Neymar, an outspoken supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has been recovering from \u200ba calf injury for a month and has yet to play \u200bat the World Cup.<\/div>
He missed Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Morocco in their Group C opener and \u200cwas \u2060also ruled out of Friday’s second-round match against Haiti, with Brazil winning 3-0.<\/div>
The forward remained at Brazil’s base in New Jersey rather than travelling with the squad to Philadelphia, following an individual training plan in an attempt to be \u200bready for the \u200bfinal group game \u2060against Scotland on Wednesday.<\/div>
On Saturday, the 34-year-old forward took part in physical and ball-handling drills at the team’s \u200btraining centre alongside left back Alex Sandro, who also \u200bmissed the \u2060match.<\/div>
Ancelotti said after the Haiti match that Neymar would be reintegrated into the squad for the Scotland game, although his availability remains uncertain.<\/div>
Neymar has been training \u2060twice daily \u200bin New Jersey as he tries to \u200baccelerate his recovery, with Ancelotti expected to assess his condition during sessions on Monday and \u200bTuesday before deciding whether he can play.<\/div>