Neymar Jr. has purchased a £17 million superyacht, completing the deal after Brazil’s shocking round-of-16 exit from the 2026 World Cup at the hands of Norway.

The Santos forward’s new vessel, christened “Enejota” — a phonetic play on the Portuguese pronunciation of his initials “NJ” — is a meticulously refurbished cargo ship constructed in Brazil.

Measuring over 46 metres in length with a usable area of 800 square metres, the yacht recently docked in Angra dos Reis, within the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is powered by four Caterpillar engines, each producing 1,450 horsepower.

The acquisition places Neymar alongside fellow football enthusiasts Cristiano Ronaldo, who spent £5.5m on his yacht in 2020, and David Beckham.

However, the timing of the purchase follows what the forward described as a painful conclusion to his international career.

Neymar confirmed his retirement from the Brazilian national team immediately following the 2-1 loss to Norway, a match in which he scored his 80th and final goal for the Selecao.

Speaking to Globo after the emotional defeat, he said: “I tried, I tried.”

As the “Enejota” now sits in the waters of Rio de Janeiro, the 34-year-old enters a new chapter — one that includes a luxury sanctuary from media scrutiny and a net worth capable of absorbing eight-figure purchases on a whim.

(Leadership)

• Getty images/ Sportsbible

FIFA’s global football development chief, Arsène Wenger,says the long-term future of hydration breaks remains uncertain as football’s governing body prepares a thorough review following Sunday’s final.

A hydration break is a mandatory pause during a sports event—most notably association football—where play is halted specifically to allow athletes to drink fluids, lower their core body temperatures, and prevent heat-related illnesses.

The three-minute stoppages, mandated for all games at this year’s tournament, are not yet a standard feature across global soccer.

But they have already caught the attention of broadcasters, who view the breaks as a potential gateway for commercial advertising in future media rights negotiations, several soccer executives told Reuters.

FIFA acknowledged the backlash generated by the mid-half pauses and confirmed that a full analysis would be conducted after the World Cup concludes.

” No, sometimes people didn’t like it and we have to analyse after the World Cup what is the impact,” Wenger said during a news conference.

“It didn’t look to me that it changed the results of the competitions. But we are here to serve people who watch football and we will come to the conclusions after the competition.

“In some games, it was really needed and because we want to make any difference between the way games are handled we decided at the start of the competition to do it. We will have a deep analysis after the competition.”

Spain’s World Cup triumph has propelled Lamine Yamal to top of the Ballon d’Or 2026 rankings.

The Barcelona winger is now regarded as the leading contender for the prestigious individual award after playing a key role in Spain’s successful campaign.

Yamal tops the list ahead of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who is ranked second, while England striker Harry Kane occupies third place.

Former Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, who claimed the award in 2025, is fourth, followed by his France teammate Kylian Mbappé.

Another French star, Michael Olise, is sixth, with England midfielders Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice ranked seventh and eighth respectively.

(Vanguard News)