Neymar has been cleared of all wrongdoing after Supreme Court of Spain upheld his acquittal in a case tied to his 2013 transfer from Santos FC to FC Barcelona.
The ruling also applies to former Barcelona presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, who were similarly cleared of fraud and corruption allegations.
Spain’s top court rejected an appeal against a 2022 decision by the Barcelona Provincial Court, which had already concluded that no criminal activity took place in the transfer.
In its judgment, the court stated that the facts presented highlighted “the inconsistency of the prosecution’s case,” noting there was no proof of corruption or fraudulent actions by Neymar, his representatives, or the club.
Prosecutors had earlier pushed for a two-year prison sentence and a €10 million fine for the Brazilian star, following a complaint from investment firm DIS, which owned 40 percent of his economic rights at the time.
DIS argued it did not receive its full entitlement, claiming the transfer fee was undervalued. The firm was paid €6.8 million 40 percent of the declared €17.1 million fee but insisted the amount did not reflect the player’s true market worth.
The verdict finally closes the long-standing legal dispute surrounding one of football’s most talked-about transfers, with all parties officially exonerated.