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Exclusive
- 20 Sept 2025
Neymar 'addicted to whiskey' and 'sleeping at 4am' as pressure mounts on Brazil legend
Suraj Radia
- 25 Sept 2025 21:30 BST
- 4 min read
News
Neymar’s time back in Brazil appears to only getting worse, with the ex-Barcelona superstar accused of being ‘addicted to whisky’ and ‘sleeping at 4am’.
The 33-year-old captains his boyhood club Santos but he has made just 21 appearances since re-joining them in January, having battled a number of injury and fitness concerns in recent times.
STATS
Neymar
AM, M, F (C)
Santos
Neymar
AM, M, F (C)
Santos
Neymar is believed to be targeting a return to the Brazil squad in order to feature at the 2026 World Cup but he was ruled out of Santos’ most recent game this week with a hamstring injury.
And, according to Brazilian outlet Santistas and journalist Rodolfo Gomes, Neymar will not return until the start of 2026, with Santos’ season set to end in early December.
However, in an even bigger claim, Gomes stated that Neymar has been engaging in bad habits during his time with Santos that have been detrimental, which had previously seen him called out by fans for his poor form.
“He’s addicted to whiskey and energy drinks, smokes hookah and only sleeps at four or five in the morning,” Gomes is quoted as saying.
Ronaldo blasts Neymar critics and claims Brazil star should go to World Cup
The situation makes Neymar’s chances of featuring at the World Cup next year even more precarious, having missed out on Carlo Ancelotti’s first squads in charge of the Brazil national team.
However, Brazilian legend Ronaldo believes Neymar should still play at the World Cup and called out critics who have questioned the player after his ACL injury suffered in 2023.
"He's a key player for the Brazilian national team . We don't have another player like Neymar. And we hope he's 100% for the World Cup, because if he is, we'll definitely have better results than if he's not," Ronaldo said.
"It's an exaggeration on the part of this minority who believe he's neglecting his physical recovery. Anyone who's played football understands perfectly how difficult it is to come back from an injury and regain rhythm and confidence. He's on time.”
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