In the just concluded Sunday presidential election in Brazil, soccer superstar Nima's name was in the spotlight for a political maelstrom. It turns out that the failure of Bolsonaro, whom Nima supported, to be re-elected seems to hide suspicions of tax evasion on Nima's part, causing incoming President Lula to launch a purge against him.
Nima had made a high-profile announcement of his support for Bolsonaro's re-election and said he would dedicate his first goal at the Qatar World Cup to the latter. The move created a furor in Brazilian politics, with the Brazilian national team even warning players to avoid getting involved in political disputes so as not to affect morale. The main rival at the time, Lula, directly accused Nima of colluding with Bolsonaro, and many scandals surfaced.
The scandal to which Lula refers involves Nima's alleged sexual assault in 2019, which Bolsonaro had helped to defuse. During the presidential election, Nima publicly endorsed Bolsonaro in a deal that allegedly exempted Nima from a huge tax bill.
Now that Bolsonaro has lost the election and Lula is in power, Nima seems to be in a bind. He posted a photo on Instagram holding the Brazilian flag with the message, "God, country, family and freedom, thank you for deciding for us." However, Lula's supporters did not let him off the hook. Videos circulating on the internet show a Lula supporter shouting, "Nima, you have to pay your taxes!"
In order to get out of this situation, it seems that there is only one way for Nima to go - and that is to help Brazil win the World Cup.
