Article body analysed
By TAMARA PRENN, SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER Published: 07: 12 AEDT, 7 March 2026 | Updated: 07: 13 AEDT, 7 March 2026 11 View comments Neymar Jnr's personal chef is thought to be suing the Brazilian superstar after she was made to work well past her agreed-upon hours, and allegedly suffered physical injuries preparing and serving food for the player and his friends. The 34-year-old returned to his home country last year after his blockbuster move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal curtailed by a significant hamstring injury. The former Paris Saint-Germain star has made his base in Rio de Janeiro's Mangaratiba municipality, where Neymar owns two luxury villas. It was at his main residence there, Casa Hotel Portobello, that the chef worked for Neymar between July 2025 to this February - but what at first seemed like a straightforward role is thought to have turned into a job that has harmed the woman's health, according to a lawsuit filed at the Regional Labor Court of the 1st Region. As per Brazilian outlet Metropoles, who claim to have seen her court documents, the chef is said to have worked 16-hour days for Neymar, feeding both the player and up to 150 of his friends and associates daily. While the initial contract was based on working between 7am and 5pm on Mondays to Thursdays, and 7am and 4pm on Fridays, the chef has claimed that she often worked until 11pm or midnight, and on weekends. Neymar has been accused of overworking his personal chef, who claims to have suffered physical injuries after long days serving the superstar and his entourage She is also thought to have worked through her legally mandated lunch hour. The cook is also said to have sustained physical injury from the intense demands of her job, such as carrying pieces of meat weighing roughly 10 kilos each, loading and unloading heavy supermarket bags, and standing up during her elongated workday. As a result, the worker is said to have suffered back problems and hip inflammation. The chef, who was paid £1, 065 per month (7, 500 Brazilian reais), is seeking £37, 544 (262, 000 Brazilian reais) to account for severance payments, fines, additional overtime and payment for breaks, damages, and her medical expenses. As well as Neymar, her third-party employer who hired her on behalf of the former Barcelona prodigy is also named as a defendant. Neymar, who signed a deal extension with Santos last June, is thought to have made £11. 8million over the 2025-26 season after receiving a lucrative new contract which gives him a share of sponsorships and investments generated by his return to his boyhood side. The Brazil international, who is in the thick of making his case for inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti's World Cup squad, declined to comment to Brazilian outlets.
Share what you think
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mail Online.
By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on Mail Online. To do this we will link your Mail Online account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.