Short answer: As of August 2026, Neymar has never made a political statement in support of or against Israel. His actual record is limited to two football-related episodes: in April 2019 he accepted a personal video invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (alongside Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro) to visit Israel, and in July 2022 he followed through, traveling to Tel Aviv with Paris Saint-Germain and scoring twice in a match there. Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, he has said nothing public on the subject either way, so calling him a vocal supporter overstates the record, and so does calling him a critic.
What Neymar Jr has actually said and done
April 4, 2019: Neymar accepted a video invitation from Netanyahu and Bolsonaro, recorded at the Western Wall, to visit Israel. He responded on camera: "Hello Bibi and Bolsonaro. Thanks for inviting us. Israel, we are coming." The clip drew backlash from pro-Palestinian fans in Brazil, according to The Times of Israel and Haaretz.
July 29, 2022: Neymar arrived in Tel Aviv with Paris Saint-Germain, staying at the Tel Aviv Hilton ahead of a French Super Cup match, fulfilling the promise he'd made three years earlier, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.
July 31, 2022: Neymar scored twice, a free kick and a penalty, as PSG beat Nantes 4-0 at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv to win the French Champions Trophy. The trip also included a PSG team visit with the Israeli nonprofit Save A Child's Heart, according to The Times of Israel.
October 25, 2022: PSG, with Neymar in the squad, played Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League. This was a routine competitive fixture rather than a goodwill visit, and no Israel-related statements by Neymar are recorded around the match, per ESPN's coverage.
October 2023 to August 2026: No public statement from Neymar for or against Israel has surfaced in the period since the Israel-Hamas war began. He has stayed out of the conflict entirely, focusing on football through a move from PSG to Al-Hilal, then a 2025 return to Santos, and a limited, injury-hit run at the 2026 World Cup with Brazil, as covered by Al Jazeera.
March 7, 2025: A pro-Israel Jewish outlet, JFeed, described Neymar on his return to Santos as "a devout Christian and an open supporter of Israel, having maintained connections with Prime Minister Netanyahu," though the piece cited no new statement or action beyond the 2019 and 2022 record above.
Context worth knowing
Neymar is a practicing Christian, specifically Pentecostal, of mixed Portuguese, African, and Indigenous Brazilian ancestry. No reliable source establishes Jewish heritage or a personal Jewish-identity connection to Israel, only a passing, unsourced comment-thread rumor that doesn't meet a reputable-outlet standard. His link to Israel runs entirely through two discrete, football-adjacent moments seven years ago (the 2019 invitation and the 2022 visit and match), not through activism, donations, or ongoing public commentary. He has never addressed the Israel-Hamas war, never boycotted or refused to play an Israel-connected fixture, and has never taken part in any pro-Palestinian statement or gesture that would offset the 2019/2022 record.
Coverage of Neymar and Israel skews toward pro-Israel outlets like The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, and JFeed, largely retelling the same 2019-2022 episodes rather than reporting anything new. A pro-Palestinian advocacy site lists him as "complicit" for that same 2019/2022 conduct, which is itself a sign there isn't more recent material on either side.
The bottom line
Neymar is not a vocal supporter of Israel and has never used that language himself. His actual record, accepting Netanyahu's 2019 invitation and then playing and scoring in Tel Aviv in 2022, leans friendly rather than hostile, but he has made no political statement, donation, or comment on the Israel-Hamas war since October 2023. The fair, accurate description is a player who has been football-friendly toward Israel through a couple of past appearances, not an outspoken advocate.
Wear your own answer
Whatever a given athlete has or hasn't said, plenty of people want to state their own support for Israel clearly and every day. If that's you, our I Stand With Israel collection is built for exactly that, including the I Stand With Israel bracelet, a simple, durable way to show where you stand without needing a celebrity to say it first.
Related
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Last updated August 2026. We update these profiles as the record changes.
