Brazilian Santos forward Neymar has reacted to criticism directed at him regarding his participation in poker tournaments during his days off.

​Operativ Media reports that the experienced footballer shared this in a video posted on his social media account.

​Noting that he was making use of his day off, Neymar stated that he trained in the morning and missed the match only because he had just resumed preparations. Objecting to having his every move scrutinized, he called on critics to focus on their own lives rather than others'.

​It should be noted that the 34-year-old forward has scored 6 goals and provided 4 assists in 15 appearances across all competitions this season. In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Brazilian footballer scored once and received 1 yellow card in 2 matches.