Prosecutors drop fraud and allegation charges against Neymar Jr

• Neymar has been handed a lifetime relief after fraud and corruption allegations against him withdrawn
• Neymar was facing the allegations since his time in Spanish side Barcelona
• The allegations involve his transfer from Brazilian side Santos to Barcelona in the year 2013

Spanish prosecutors have withdrawn their allegations against Neymar for fraud and corruption.

In a trial pertaining to his transfer from Santos to Barcelona in 2013, the Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil player was one of numerous defendants.

Along with the two clubs involved in the transaction, Neymar’s parents, former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, as well as former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues, were also named as defendants in the case.

The prosecution had sought a €10 million fine and a two-year prison sentence for Neymar, but they dropped all accusations on Friday.

Neymar Jr in a past match for FC Barcelona. The fraud and corruption charges against the winger is dating back to 2013 when he was signed by the La Liga side. | PHOTO: Courtesy |

Investment company DIS said it lost out on the purchase because the value was overstated. DIS controlled 40% of the Brazilian’s rights when he was still playing for Santos.

Neymar and Barcelona reached an agreement in 2011 for Barcelona to sign him two years later for a total sum of €57.1 million. Since €40 million of that amount went to the player and his family, DIS only earned a portion of the €17.1 million that went to Santos as the selling club.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez testified as a witness in court via videolink, admitting Madrid had made bids of €45 million in 2011 and €36 million in 2013, but Neymar preferred to join Barca. DIS said the agreement was undervalued.

In Brazil, the alleged crime of which Neymar and his family were accused is not a crime.

Neymar has consistently refuted the claims, and last week he said he was not involved in any discussions about his sale to the La Liga giants.

After this case, the winger can now fully focus on issues on the pitch as he aims to win the World Cup with Brazil, who face Serbia in their first group match on November 24.

Neymar Jr will look to help Brazil in their 2022 FIFA World Cup quest in Qatar. | PHOTO: Courtesy |

Heading to November the PSG winger is in top form scoring 13 times and assisting further 10 in just 17 matches across all competitions.

In Ligue 1 alone, the Brazilian has nine goals and seven assists in 11 outings with only his Paris teammate Kylian Mbappe scoring more than him in the league with 10 goals.

In assists only his fellow teammate Argentine Lionel Messi has more than Neymar assisting 10 times in 11 outings. Brazil will hope the winger’s top form continues ahead of the FIFA World Cup that is scheduled to start on November 18 in Qatar.

Brazil will start their World Cup quest on November 24 when they face European nation Serbia before taking on Switzerland four days later in a tough Group G clash and then finishing their group matches against African champions Cameroon on December 2.