Brazil forward Neymar has hit back at critics who suggested he is fat, saying any added mass is “beauty weight.”
Neymar, 31, is out of the rest of the season having sustained a serious knee injury in October while on international duty.
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The Al Hilal forward, who is recovering in Brazil, attended Romario’s 58th birthday party in Rio de Janeiro at the weekend.
Pictures of Neymar at the event surfaced online, provoking comments by critics that Brazil’s all-time record goalscorer had put on weight.
Some even posted fake photographs of Neymar with a bigger frame than normal.
Neymar responded to those critics with a video posted on Instagram.
“Finished training today,” he said. “I’ve put on beauty weight. But fat? No, I guess not!”
Neymar ended the video by raising his middle finger and saying: “Suck it haters.”