Neymar slapped with a €3m fine by Brazilian authorities

Brazilian authorities have punished the Paris Saint-Germain forward for an environmental offense.

Neymar was fined 16 million reais ($3.3m/€3m/£2.6m) for building an ‘artificial lake’ at his mansion in Brazil without the proper permits.

The estate resides in Mangaratiba, a town on the southern coast of Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil. The local council found several irregularities in the construction project. It issued four fines for environmental violations.

Neymar did not follow planning rules and failed to get the required licenses. The 31-year-old removed land and vegetation, and diverted water without proper documentation. His mansion site has been cordoned off, and work has been stopped. This incident has drawn attention after several social media posts complained about it.

Besides the fine, the local attorney general’s office, state civil police, and environmental protection office, along with other environmental control bodies, will investigate the case.

Neymar has yet to comment on the fine. The Brazilian is currently enjoying some downtime after a long football season. He will soon report back to Paris Saint-Germain for pre-season. The Ligue 1 champions are set to return to action on July 21 in a friendly against Ligue 2 winners Le Havre.

Brazilian footballer Neymar held a party in his mansion in Mangaratiba, RJ, this week after it was condemned by the environmental protection agency. His crime was cutting down trees and rerouting a river in protected rainforest to build a swimming pond. pic.twitter.com/d6AM8jtbeh

— BrianMier (@BrianMteleSUR) June 25, 2023