What does a disciple of Christ want in the dictatorship of Saudi Arabia? Neymar represents like no other the perversion of modern football exploited by oppressive regimes. He has never followed sporting criteria, but financial ones. Neymar Jr. is a great soccer player, but a little man. His decision to play in the heat of the Saudi Arabian desert is the logical conclusion of a career that will be remembered not for any sporting success but for his adventures on and off the pitch.
Of Pelé, for example, there are iconic photos. Dribble, score goals, celebrate, raise trophies in the air. The images that will remain of Neymar are: his endless falls during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil; Neymar with luxury watches, clothes, cars and houses; Neymar wears a Jesus sash; Neymar campaigning for the re-election of far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro; Neymar laughs with the Saudi leader, who commands a retrograde dictatorship.
Neymar will not be remembered for important titles. Because apart from the 2015 Champions League, together with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez at Barcelona, he hasn’t won any others. He has had even fewer sporting successes than another great incompleteness of Brazilian football: Ronaldinho.
Like Ronaldinho, Neymar was (and still is) one of the most technical and astute footballers in the world. But his plays almost never had a decisive impact on the game; they increasingly resembled circus stunts meant to be replayed millions of times in short social media videos to further boost Neymar’s brand value. In 2017 he was sold by Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for 222 million euros, the highest amount ever paid for a player. But the investment didn’t bear fruit: PSG didn’t win the Champions League.
Football, the pastime of billionaires
Neymar has never matured, he has always lacked seriousness on and off the pitch. Apparently he remains under the influence of his father, who sees him as a money-making machine. Neymar’s path, therefore, has never followed sporting criteria, but financial ones.
Like no other footballer, Neymar represents the perversion of modern mega-commercialized football, which has become a global circus that undemocratic and oppressive regimes – from Russia to China, from Qatar to Saudi Arabia – exploit to improve their image. Football, once a sport for the working and lower classes, has become a pastime for billionaires and a plaything for governments.
The fact that Neymar, like several other stars (Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Firmino, Kanté, Mané, Henderson, Mendy, Mahrez), now follows the call for money to Saudi Arabia, therefore does not represent a break in his career , but consistency .
Of course, one might wonder what the alleged disciple of Christ, Neymar, is looking for in a Salafi-Wahhabi dictatorship; but this in essence proves that Neymar’s evangelical faith was apparently also just a marketing gimmick. The fact that after his arrival in Riyadh he claimed that he “never looked for the money” but that he followed his heart underscores his degree of moral negligence. Lie or truth? It doesn’t matter, it’s business that matters.
The boy symbol of a criminal regime
Therefore, it is useless to try to appeal to Neymar’s conscience and make him understand that he has become the emblem of a criminal regime. Esteemed fellow journalist Jamil Chade wrote a letter to Neymar describing the conditions in Saudi Arabia: oppression of women, persecution of the opposition, lack of personal freedom, executions, murder of a journalist, war in Yemen. Added to this is the recent Human Rights Watch report on the massacres of hundreds of Ethiopian migrants by Saudi security forces.
It is necessary to continue drawing attention to this aspect. But to accuse Neymar? The West ignored these conditions for decades and financed the Riyadh regime with petrodollars.
Neymar may have realized he won’t win another major title. A Champions League win with PSG eluded him for five years. A World Cup title for the Brazilian Legion team in 2026 seems unrealistic, especially since Neymar is unlikely to develop further as a footballer in Saudi Arabia.
Neymar could have gained worldwide respect and recognition if he had publicly decided not to join Al-Hilal, citing the lack of human rights in Saudi Arabia. This would have given his image a whole new twist. But then it would not have been Neymar.
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Philipp Lichterbeck wanted to open a new chapter in his life when he moved from Berlin to Rio in 2012. Since then he has been contributing reports on Brazil and other Latin American countries for newspapers in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. He often travels between Germany, Brazil and other countries of the American continent. Follow him on Twitter at @Lichterbeck_Rio.
Text reflects the author’s opinion, not necessarily DW’s.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
