When Neymar Tried to Pay Tribute to Hawking – And It Backfired
Neymar, the star of Paris Saint‑Germain and undoubtedly the world’s most expensive footballer, decided to honor a dead genius a little too literally.
What Happened?
On March 14, Neymar posted a photo of himself grinning in a wheelchair while wearing a swimsuit. The caption? A famous quote from the late physicist Stephen Hawking.
“One has to have a positive attitude and must make the best of the situation that one finds oneself in.”
Completely unrelated to the context of Hawking’s lifelong disability, Neymar’s post was meant as a giddy tribute, but it turned into a social media circus.
Why Fans Got Windy
- Grant Wahl (Sports Illustrated) tweeted: “It’s the height of self‑centeredness to link Hawking’s death to your own wheelchair moment.”
- A sports fan blasted: “No ethics, no morals, no sympathy!” and threatened: “Hope he loses all his money.”
- Nate Scott from SBNation lambasted: “Neymar heard a famous man died in a wheelchair, so he equated his temporary crutch with Hawking’s lifelong confinement.”
Facts About the Stars
- Neymar is wearing a wheelchair temporarily after breaking a right foot on February 25 – a quick injury that could sideline him for a few weeks.
- Hawking, 76, recently succumbed to motor neurone disease, a condition that kept him in a wheelchair for most of his life.
- Neymar’s transfer to PSG from Barcelona happened last August when the French club paid a staggering €222 million.
The Bottom Line
It turns out that paying tribute in a very personal way can backfire when the moment is misunderstood. Neymar’ll have to recover from his foot, but the lesson? Keep tributes fitting and respectful—especially when the people you’re honoring lived for decades to make that very choice.
