Neymar admits hosting New Year’s Eve party despite coronavirus

Brazil’s star footballer Neymar is at the center of a new controversy storm after several Brazilian media reported that he’s organizing a huge New Year’s Eve party despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Acelmo Goes, a columnist for the O Globo newspaper, claimed that the Paris Saint-Germain forward is hosting 500 people for a week-long party at his luxury beachside mansion near Rio de Janeiro that started on Saturday and will last until New Year’s Day.

Brazil has suffered the second-largest number of Covid-19 related deaths in the world with more than 191,000, while 7.4 million people have contracted the virus.

But the agency organizing the party said reports that 500 friends and celebrities were due to attend were false, and that only 150 people would be at the multi-day celebration in Mangaratiba, around 105 kilometers down the coast from Rio.

“The event will take place in compliance with all the sanitary norms as determined by public bodies,” the Fabrica agency said in a statement.

The organization also said the event would be private and that all the relevant permissions had been obtained.

Neymar, who is no stranger to controversies over his parties, allegedly even installed soundproofing equipment to try to avoid bothering his neighbors.

Leo Dias, a columnist for the Metropoles website who is renowned for his scoops on celebrities, even named the artists due to perform at Neymar’s party, such as Ludmilla and Wesley Safadao.

Guests’ mobile phones are allegedly due to being confiscated on the door to prevent any evidence from finding its way onto social media.

Neymar, who hasn’t played since December 13 when he injured his ankle against Lyon, hasn’t commented on the party and in recent days has posted pictures of his family on social media without commentaries.