Neymar of Brazil is currently under investigation for showing prohibited underwear during the match between Brazil and Cameroon on June 23. Brazil won the match with a final score of 4-1.
According to Sporting News, FIFA officials noticed the prohibited underwear when the Brazilian superstar swapped shirts. It was customary during post-matches to exchange jerseys with opponents in the World Cup. Neymar was allegedly wearing Speed undergarments which were seen by FIFA officials. According to the report, Neymar may have violated the rules of marketing by wearing underwear of a different brand. The World Cup rules provide that a player is not allowed to show equipment with advertising slogans or a political or religious message.
In a report by Yahoo! Sports, Neymar was also involved in a similar situation concerning his underwear when he showed his undergarments five times while playing in a Champions League match for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid in April 2014. The issue was immediately put to rest after his agent denied that the star intentionally advertised through such medium. This time, FIFA officials became more cautious.
FIFA has been making the necessary checks to ensure that its sponsors stay happy. Players were not allowed to wear headphones other than those by Sony inside the stadium. FIFA is now determining if Neymar exposed his Speedo undergarments on purpose to advertise the brand. In the past, Nicklaus Bendtner was fined more than $125,000 by UEFA after his undergarments advertised a betting company. The waistband can actually draw attention from thousands of fans watching live and especially on television.
In an article by CBC, "unsanctioned underwear" is defined as any type of undergarment that is not made by a company that sponsored the 2014 World Cup. Several social media users shared photos of Neymar's bright colored underwear and flagged that it was violative of the FIFA rules. The green and yellow undergarments were visible from the pictures taken since it contrasted well with the white shorts of the player. Neymar also kept his shirt off as he walked off with teammates, drawing the eyes to the waistband.
FIFA officials are also being scrutinized by fans for putting more emphasis on Neymar's alleged violation, compared to handling more pressing concerns like the recent biting incident by Suarez. Fans say that the $1.4 billion organization can ruin the game and rules by prioritizing marketing campaigns and keeping its sponsors satisfied over the support given by fans around the world.