Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made light of Neymar’s absence from the Copa América tournament, stating the star forward is currently “working remotely” due to a calf injury. Neymar has not yet played in the competition as he continues his recovery. He did not participate in the match against Haiti and remained at the team’s base in New Jersey. The 34-year-old recently rejoined training with his teammates after a month-long absence due to a right calf muscle injury sustained while playing for Santos. This marks Neymar’s first time wearing the Brazilian jersey since October 2023, following a knee injury. Lula also previously joked about potentially recruiting Lionel Messi to bolster Brazil’s attack.