Everyone Can Breathe Easy: Spanish Court Upholds Acquittal of Neymar and Co-Defendants

The legal action was initially launched in 2015 by the Brazilian investment sports company DIS, which held 40 percent of Neymar's sports rights during his time at FC Santos.

The firm claimed it suffered financial damage, alleging it was not informed about an exclusive 2011 agreement between Neymar and Barcelona, and that the true value of the transfer was concealed.

However, in 2022, a Spanish court acquitted all defendants, including Neymar, his parents, and former Barcelona chiefs Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, of corruption and fraud charges in a highly publicized trial. The acquittal also extended to Santos, its former president Odilio Rodrigues Filho, and N&N, the company founded by Neymar's parents to manage his career.

DIS appealed the decision, but the Supreme Court ruled that "the evidence points to the inconclusiveness of the accusations" and that "there was no corrupt act or fraudulent conduct on the part of the player, his representatives, or FC Barcelona."

The court reiterated that the situation was a result of the club's sporting decision to secure his signature and ultimately expedite the transfer, as several rival teams were interested in Neymar at the time.

DIS sought €35 million in compensation, claiming it lost out on its share of the transfer fee. FC Barcelona stated the transfer cost €57.1 million, with €40 million going to N&N and €17.1 million to Santos, from which DIS received €6.8 million.

Prosecutors had initially sought a two-year prison sentence and a €10 million fine for Neymar, but surprisingly withdrew the corruption and fraud charges against all defendants.

Neymar, who is once again a Santos player, also faced tax fraud allegations related to this transfer, which were resolved in 2016 when FC Barcelona, in agreement with the prosecutor, paid a fine of €5.5 million.