Brazil President Lula jokes about Neymar's World Cup injury

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has publicly joked about the injury absence of star forward Neymar at the FIFA World Cup, calling him the national team's first "work-from-home" player. The comments, made during a public health announcement in Belo Horizonte, highlight the growing controversy surrounding the 34-year-old's fitness and selection.

The incident occurred when a child at the event identified Neymar as the best player on the national team. President Lula responded by saying Neymar was not even playing and was the world's first national team player to be called up to work from home, a joke he said he saw online. He added that one day the team might have to be selected using artificial intelligence to create "11 Pelés."

Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, has been sidelined for a month with a calf injury sustained before the tournament. He missed Brazil's opening 1-1 draw with Morocco on June 16 and was also ruled out of the team's second Group C match, a 3-0 victory over Haiti on June 19. The forward has remained at the team's base in New Jersey, following an individual training regimen while the squad traveled for matches.