According to El Mundo, PSG star striker Neymar failed to vote for incumbent President Bolsonaro, who has been overtaken by ex-President Lula in the latest polls.
This Sunday, Brazilians were called to the polls to choose their next president, a vote being contested between Lula and Jair Bolsonaro. With the ex-president seen as the favorite in the polls, the outgoing Bolsonaro may have lost one vote: Neymar’s. However, the PSG striker had publicly shown his support on social media.
However, it is not said that he was able to fulfill his duty as elector. In any case, the Spanish press does not believe him. El Mundo has made inquiries and it appears that the international Auriverde forgot or neglected to transfer his title of elector to Paris. According to the Spanish newspaper, Neymar’s polling station would still be in Sao Paulo.
80% of Brazil internationals don’t vote
Therefore, the only way for Neymar to seal his support for Bolsonaro would have been to go to the airport after the end of his French league game against Nice. Then take a 12-hour flight to Sao Paulo, arrive in time for the opening of the polls and be back in Lisbon on Wednesday to face Benfica in the Champions League.
Unless he had permission by proxy to send someone in his stead. But that seems unlikely. Because according to the Brazilian side UOL, 80% of the Brazilian internationals do not vote. What sets Neymar apart from his compatriots is that he has taken a stand for one of the two candidates. Bolsonaro recently visited the Brazilian star’s institute for disadvantaged children and in return received an appeal to vote for him from the Parisian player.
In a video posted to Tik-Tok on Thursday, the footballer smiled and mimed a song calling for a vote for the Brazilian president. With eight million subscribers on TikTok and almost 180 million on Instagram, the 30-year-old footballer is a strong mainstay for the outgoing leader, who is trailing in the polls. However, it seems that this digital support was not confirmed in the elections.