Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has been slammed online amid reports that the Brazil star hosted a five-day long party over the Christmas period at his mansion near Rio de Janeiro as the county’s Covid death toll increases.
The party, which Brazilian outlet O Globo reports is still ongoing, is understood to have begun on Christmas Day and is to extend all the way to the new year, with the footballer said to have pulled out all of the stops – including soundproofing sections of his mansion – to prepare for it.
Guests have also reportedly had their phones confiscated on entry to prevent any videos or images from the party being released online, while a band has been hired to perform for the duration of the five-day long party.
Among the guests to have been invited are Neymar’s sister, Rafaella Santos, as well as Brazilian social media influencer Camila Loures.
Neymar himself hasn’t yet referenced the event on social media, with his most recent post, on December 25, showing him with members of his family beside a Christmas tree.
Reports of the party come amid an ever-worsening coronavirus crisis in Brazil, which remains one of the most hard-hit countries in the world and has reported more than 190,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
With more than 41,000 new cases of the virus confirmed in the last two days, critics have slammed Neymar for what they see as the player’s short-sightedness for holding such an event at a time of national crisis.
@PSG_English Neymar should not be allowed to play and should be kicked out after holding a 500 party. When there’s so many in Brazil dying of Covid. He may have money but has got no grey matter. Idiot.
Neymar will throw a NYE party for 500 people, for 5 days, and told people to not use cellphones there so people wouldn’t criticize himIDIOT https://t.co/6zzTNGKxH2
“The idiot trophy for the day goes to Neymar for his five-day party,” wrote human rights lawyer Augusto de Arruda Botelho online.
Another observer described the event as “a threat to the world, not only to Brazil.”
PSG are next in action in Ligue 1 on January 6, although Neymar is not expected to be involved after leaving the pitch in tears when they last played.
The French giants were relieved when the flamboyant striker was subsequently revealed to have only sprained his ankle rather than sustaining a more long-term injury of the kind they had initially feared.
