Neymar responds after being accused of being 'hooked on whiskey' and late-night gaming sessions following return to Santos

As per the Daily Mail, Neymar's representatives NR Sports have labelled Gomes' claims as "reckless, defamatory, slanderous and false" and will be taking action against the journalist who first made the accusations against the forward in a video on his channel Futeboteco. NR Sports said: "All civil and criminal legal measures are being taken to hold those involved accountable."

Gomes has said that Brazil's all-time top goalscorer is "hooked on whisky with energy drinks, smokes shisha", as well as only going to sleep at around 5am. The journalist said that Neymar will not play for the club again this year and believes the star is starting to have a negative impact on his team-mates. Gomes claimed that Santos had been having to train later in the day to accommodate Neymar, and that the head coach was growing frustrated with the supposed existing situation.

These allegations have also been repeated by other Brazilian outlets, but the claims have not been confirmed and Neymar and his representatives are unhappy with what they feel are unfair and untrue comments. The Brazilian has struggled back at Santos with injuries holding back the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star from recapturing his best form. Neymar had returned to the Brazilian division with the hope of regaining his spot in the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but with time and options running out, it is unclear whether Neymar will persuade Carlo Ancelotti to bring him back into the fold.

Neymar offered his own, more comical, response to the claims of Gomes. The Brazilian posted a photo of a Red Bull can with the caption, "ADDICTED to Red Bull. This one’s great," in a deliberate attack at the journalists making such claims about him. The forward has so often found his name amongst the headlines, but, as his career has dwindled, these headlines have tended to lean more on his life away from the football pitch. The Brazilian has been a global star ever since breaking into the Santos first-team as a teenager and his move to Barcelona made him one of the most famous sportsmen in the world. Since leaving Spain, Neymar has suffered with an array of injuries and inconsistency. While he dazzled in Paris, the Brazilian never assumed the throne as the best player in the world and would eventually leave through the backdoor to Saudi Arabia, a move which proved a complete disaster. Offered an escape by Santos, Neymar had looked to be turning his career around, but yet more injury has tormented the 33-year-old.

Despite his patchy form for Santos, Neymar has been given the backing of some of Brazil's greatest players. Former Selecao striker Ronaldo has urged Ancelotti to take the unique forward to the World Cup, even if he is no longer the player he once was. Ronaldo said: "He's a key player for the Brazilian national team . We don't have another player like Neymar. And we hope he's 100% for the World Cup, because if he is, we'll definitely have better results than if he's not.

"It's an exaggeration on the part of this minority who believe he's neglecting his physical recovery. Anyone who's played football understands perfectly how difficult it is to come back from an injury and regain rhythm and confidence. He's on time. The other day, I was playing tennis with Luisa Stefani, the São Paulo Open doubles champion, and she tore her cruciate ligament at the same time as Neymar. She still feels pain. It's a gradual process."

Neymar remains sidelined with an injury to his quadriceps. Meanwhile, Santos continue to play without their talisman and continue to suffer in Serie A. The club are languishing in 15th place and have just seven wins from 23 games in the league this season. It is unclear how long Neymar will remain at the club and he may seek a fresh opportunity ahead of the World Cup in a bid to find inspiration.