A Brazilian man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for stealing a football signed by Neymar during the violent riots at Brazil’s Congress in January 2023. Nelson Ribeiro Fonseca Junior, 34, was convicted by the Supreme Court on Monday night, not only for the theft of the autographed ball but also for charges including violent disruption of democratic rule, armed criminal association, and attempted coup linked to his role in the unrest in Brasilia.
The football, which bears the signature of Neymar and was gifted to the Chamber of Deputies in 2012 by Neymar’s childhood club Santos—where the superstar recently returned—was taken amid the chaos when thousands of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed key government institutions. The rioters targeted Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace in a bid to overturn the October 2022 election results that saw far-left leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva narrowly defeat Bolsonaro.
Ribeiro admitted to taking the ball but his defense argued that he found it abandoned on the floor during the chaos and took it to safeguard the item, later handing it over to the police after 20 days. However, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes dismissed this claim, emphasizing that Ribeiro “actively participated” in the violent attack on Brazil’s democratic institutions. Moraes described the stolen ball as a “public good” and part of Brazil’s cultural heritage that was unlawfully taken during the siege.
The January 8 riots resulted in the conviction of over 500 individuals involved in the violent attempt to destabilize the government. Bolsonaro, who was in the United States at the time, faces allegations of inciting the attack and is currently on trial for plotting to seize power illegally. Prosecutors contend that the coup attempt failed due to lack of support from the military, a charge Bolsonaro denies.
This landmark sentencing reflects Brazil’s ongoing efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the unprecedented assault on its democracy and underscores the serious consequences of attempting to undermine the country’s constitutional order.