Neymar has missed matches on his sister’s birthday for 10 years: Fans can’t ignore the pattern

Over the past few hours, Neymar has once again found himself at the center of intense debate after missing Santos’ game against Mirassol Futebol Clube.

The Brazilian star, now back with his boyhood club, was expected to feature in a match that drew particular interest from Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who reportedly wanted a close look at the forward.

Instead, Neymar was ruled out shortly before kickoff because of muscle tightness, an absence that quickly reignited one of soccer’s strangest running jokes.

The “sister’s birthday curse”

For years, fans have pointed to an unusual coincidence. Neymar has repeatedly missed matches that fall around the birthday of his sister, Rafaella.

What began as a curious statistical quirk has gradually evolved into a full-blown meme within the global soccer community.

Supporters on social media regularly track the dates each season, waiting to see whether the Brazilian star will play or miss another game during that stretch.

A pattern stretching back 10 years

The numbers behind the joke are striking. Since 2015, Neymar has been unavailable for his club in every season during the period surrounding his sister’s birthday, with just one exception.

The only year he managed to appear was 2022. The streak was technically interrupted in 2020, although that was due to the global shutdown caused by the covid-19 pandemic rather than a regular match schedule.

Neymar’s absences during the birthday window

Here is the list that keeps fueling the internet meme:

2015: vs. Rayo Vallecano, suspended

2016: vs. SD Eibar, suspended

2017: vs. RC Deportivo de La Coruña, minor injury

2018: Long-term injury, out for the rest of the season

2019: Long-term injury, out for the rest of the season

2020: covid-19 pandemic

2021: Long-term injury, missed 11 games

2022: Played for PSG vs Bordeaux

2023: Long-term injury, out for the rest of the season

2024: Long-term injury, out for the rest of the season

2025: Refused to play in protest

2026: vs. Mirassol Futebol Clube, muscle tightness

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