Neymar Mocks Journalist After Challenge Is Turned Down
Listen to the story
Brazilian football star Neymar has mocked a journalist who refused to take part in a challenge with him.
The journalist had agreed to do the challenge but later declined it.
Neymar reacted by making fun of him, saying the man was "a bit scared."
The situation then became more serious when Neymar lost his patience during a later exchange.
He used offensive language toward the journalist, calling him an old man in a very rude way.
This kind of comment is considered highly disrespectful in Portuguese and caused a strong reaction online.
Neymar is one of the most famous athletes in the world and often attracts attention on social media.
He is known for being outspoken and sometimes getting into arguments with journalists or fans.
The exact details of the original challenge have not been fully explained in reports.
Reactions from the public have been mixed, with some defending Neymar and others criticising his behaviour.
The story has spread quickly on social media in Brazil.
It remains unclear whether Neymar or the journalist will comment further on the incident.
Vocabulary10 words
- journalist
- a person who reports news
- challenge
- a difficult task someone is asked to do
- declined
- said no to something
- patience
- the ability to stay calm during problems
- disrespectful
- not showing respect; rude
- athletes
- people who are skilled at sports
- outspoken
- willing to say strong opinions openly
- offensive
- causing someone to feel hurt or insulted
- incident
- an event, often a problem
- reaction
- how someone responds to something
Quiz
Answer key
1. A challenge with Neymar 2. He mocked him and later used offensive language 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Brazilian football star Neymar has _____ a journalist who refused to take part in a challenge with him.
The journalist had agreed to do the challenge but later _____ it.
Neymar reacted by making fun of him, saying the man was "a bit _____."
The situation then became more serious when Neymar lost his _____ during a later exchange.
He used _____ language toward the journalist, calling him an old man in a very rude way.
This kind of comment is considered highly _____ in Portuguese and caused a strong reaction online.
Neymar is one of the most famous _____ in the world and often attracts attention on social media.
He is known for being _____ and sometimes getting into arguments with journalists or fans.
Reactions from the public have been _____, with some defending Neymar and others criticising his behaviour.
Discussion questions
- Do you think athletes should respond to journalists online? Why or why not?
- How do you think journalists should react when someone insults them publicly?
- Why do you think incidents like this attract so much attention on social media?
- Have you ever seen a public figure lose their temper in public? What happened?