Neymar branded 'pathetic' for showing support for Brazilian president Bolsonaro

Neymar, the biggest name in Brazilian football, has shown support for the nation's controversial rigt-wing president Jair Bolsonaro ahead of the country’s upcoming election.

The far-right incumbent is facing off against leftist former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has been ahead in the polls leading up to Sunday’s vote.

However, footballer Neymar could yet have an impact on proceedings.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward, who has 121 caps for the national side, showed his support by dancing to Bolsonaro’s campaign music.

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A video circulating around the web sees the 30-year-old declared that he’ll vote for Bolsonaro by holding his fingers to show the number 22 – Bolsonaro’s voting code.

However, reaction to the news has not been particularly positive given Bolsanaro's divisive politics and tenure as president.

It’s no great surprise, especially after Bolsonaro enlisted the help of Neymar on a campaign stop Wednesday, just four days before the country's general elections.

Bolsonaro visited a non-profit youth institute set up by Neymar in the city of Praia Grande and took a call from the player, who thanked him and said he was proud of him.

Neymar threw his weight behind the incumbent PresidentGetty

This weekend’s election marks a huge moment in Brazil’s political history, as the two frontrunners have mostly harped on their experience and railed against each other.

It comes after four years of far-right politics led by a president who has been criticised for how he has handled the Covid-19 pandemic that killed nearly 700,000 people and an economic recovery that has yet to be felt by the poor.

“Both candidates are very well known, the vote is very crystallized," said Nara Pavão, who teaches political science at the Federal University of Pernambuco, adding that most voters made up their minds long ago.

It comes after Bolsonaro was criticised for filming a video in which he expressed his shock at UK petrol prices while visiting for the Queen’s funeral.

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