Neymar backs Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil election

Brazilian football star Neymar on Friday threw his support behind right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of a tight runoff election against leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday.

The all-time leading goalscorer for Brazil’s national team, Neymar openly supported Flavio’s father, far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, saying he had “similar values” to his own.

He had not commented on this year’s campaign, but appeared in an Instagram video with pro-Bolsonaro lawmaker Nikolas Ferreira on Friday.

“What was Neymar’s jersey number at Barcelona? It was eleven. And what do eleven plus eleven add up to?” asked Ferreira, turning the camera to show Neymar using his fingers to form the number 22 — the number assigned to Flavio on the ballot.

“It’s not about politics, it’s just football here,” added Ferreira, one of the most prominent figures on the Brazilian right in Congress, with a wink.

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Neymar retired from international football in July after Brazil’s World Cup defeat by Norway, and is playing for Brazilian club Santos.

Polls show Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro in a statistical dead heat ahead of Sunday’s vote.

AFP

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