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When Brazil take on Serbia tonight at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, the South American team’s star player, Neymar, will have an extraordinary supporting ensemble cheering him on in the stands.
Widely regarded as the best Brazilian footballer of his generation, the 30-year-old striker will hope to lead his team to World Cup glory before Christmas arrives…with his feisty younger sister Rafaella Santos, 26, leading the family singing.
Indeed, the passionate football fan, who will likely be joined by Neymar Sr, the footballer’s 57-year-old father, once celebrated a goal her brother scored so hard against Costa Rica that she dislocated her shoulder.
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Rafaella Santos, who has 5.7 million followers on Instagram, is the younger sister of Brazilian star Neymar Jr.
Rafaella, who once dated fellow Brazil star Lucas Lima, will be cheering for her big brother against Serbia tonight – after flying to the Middle East (the siblings pictured together earlier this year)
Described as being extremely close to her older brother, growing up together in a humble home in Sao Paulo, a recent photo of the couple was captioned “love doing life with you,” followed by a love heart emoji.
And when Neymar signed for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for €222 million, his sister followed her brother to the French capital.
The influencer, who promotes several products, including a vitamin brand, has a whopping 5.7 million followers — though her big brother has a whopping 183 million global fans on the social media platform.
Both siblings are currently single, with Neymar divorcing his long-term love Bruna Biancardi in the summer after dating just over a year.
Rafaella, who once dated fellow Brazilian star Lucas Lima, will be cheering on her big brother against Serbia – after flying to the Middle East. Pictured: The siblings with their father Neymar Santos Sr at the PSG stadium in Paris
And in 2015, she even got inked to prove her devotion to her footballer brother — by getting his eyes tattooed on her left arm (pictured)
Biancardi, 27, who is also from Sao Paulo and has nearly 2 million followers on Instagram, will not be joining Rafaella in Qatar.
And it is believed that Rafaella is also single, after her relationship with Fortaleza football star Lucas Lima came to a standstill.
While the pair are rumored to have reunited in the fall, little of him can be seen on her social media accounts.
Prior to that, Neymar’s sister dated the man once dubbed the ‘new Neymar’. Rafaella was romantically linked to Inter Milan and Brazilian striker Gabigol, a close friend of her brother.
Gabigol and Neymar grew up together in football – both were on Santos’ books as young players and both are now stars of the national team.
The doting sister has long been known for her public displays of affection for her big brother; when she was a teenager and he stormed the world football stage, she once wrote, “My heart is yours, my love is yours, my smile is yours, my day, my night, my desire, my best company.”
On the move: The influencer updated her fans with a photo where she appears to be flying to the Middle East yesterday, ahead of Brazil’s first match
Rafaella is thought to be single, after her relationship with Fortaleza football star Lucas Lima fizzled out earlier this year
Is the hour coming? Brazil has won the World Cup five times, but since taking the trophy in 2002 has failed to do it with Europe’s powerhouses – Neymar hopes to shine on the world stage
And in 2015, she even got inked to prove her devotion to her footballer brother – by getting his eyes tattooed on her left arm.
The design was revealed by tattoo artist Adao Rosa, who took to his Instagram page to post a few snaps.
“This is the tattoo I got on my loving friend @rafaella, a tribute to her idol and her brother @neymarjr,” Rosa wrote.
And the love between siblings is mutual, Neymar once shared a photo of the pair drinking wine with the caption: ‘Wine + Sister = Heart [emoji]’
Meanwhile, Neymar also got her face on his arm.
Indeed, the Brazilian striker made headlines after attending his sister’s birthday parties four years running – despite her mid-season big day in March, said to be injured.
At Barcelona, it was even beginning to be noticed that Neymar would be suspended or rested for the game closest to celebration.