Brazilian football icon Neymar has thrown his support behind right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of Sunday’s crucial runoff election against incumbent leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
A Clever Social Media Reveal
The endorsement came to light in an Instagram clip featuring conservative lawmaker Nikolas Ferreira. In the video, Ferreira noted that Neymar wore the number 11 shirt during his tenure at Barcelona before asking what 11 added to 11 equals. Neymar then signaled the number 22 using his fingers, pointing directly to the candidate number assigned to Flavio Bolsonaro on the ballot.
Ferreira jokingly framed the exchange as a lighthearted discussion, remarking with a wink that the moment was focused on football rather than political campaigning.
Historical Context and High-Stakes Polling
This gesture aligns with Neymar’s previous political stances. The Santos forward previously backed former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who is Flavio’s father, citing shared personal principles and values. Despite his previous activism, Neymar had kept quiet throughout the earlier stages of this year’s presidential race.
The high-profile backing arrives as opinion polls show Flavio Bolsonaro and President Lula in a statistical dead heat, making every endorsement potentially decisive ahead of Sunday’s vote.