The Brazilian superstar has often had his off-field habits questioned but his dad Neymar Sr claims that partying hasn't caused the injury problems that have plagued him in recent years.

He told French newspaper L'Equipe: "We have to stop believing that it's Carnival every night. On the field, he's professional. Off it, it's his life.

"He goes out when it's vacation or when he's off. The injuries didn't happen because he went out with girls. Do you think he injured his cruciate ligaments because he played poker?"

Neymar became the world's most expensive player when he joined PSG from Barcelona for a £200 million fee in 2017 and his father revealed that he was pleased to see the French club lift the Champions League for the first time last month, even though the triumph came after the exits of his son and fellow superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

He said: "I was happy! I congratulated Nasser (al-Khelaifi), a friend. We were part of this project. Nasser knows that we climbed the mountain together.

"That's when you see the time it takes to structure a club and find the right formula. They built a new training centre, invested in young players, new staff. Today, all the players want to sign there. Before, they wanted to leave to go to a bigger club."

Neymar is now back at his boyhood club Santos and his father has revealed that the player wants to be part of the Brazil team at the 2026 World Cup.

He said: "Now we're going to prepare again for an impossible dream: winning the World Cup. Carlo's [Ancelotti] arrival is good, but no matter who's in charge, we have to work. Everything is there to make it work. The team has style. And I can see Neymar with Vini, Rodrygo, Raphinha."