The Spanish Supreme Court has definitively cleared Neymar and former FC Barcelona executives Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu of all criminal charges related to the Brazilian forward’s 2013 transfer from Santos, ruling there was no evidence of corruption or fraud in the deal.
The court’s decision, issued on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, confirms earlier rulings by lower courts that dismissed allegations brought by Brazilian investment firm DIS, which had claimed it was defrauded out of its rightful share of the transfer fee due to concealed agreements between Barcelona and Neymar’s representatives.
According to the tribunal’s findings, DIS had acquired 40% of Neymar’s economic rights in 2009 for 5 million Brazilian reais. When the transfer to Barcelona was completed in 2013 for a total fee of 17.1 million euros, DIS received 6.84 million euros — exactly 40% of the agreed amount — leading the court to conclude there was no patrimonial harm or fraudulent concealment.
The judges emphasized a key distinction in their reasoning: while DIS held economic rights to Neymar’s future earnings, only federative rights — which Santos retained until the player’s contract expired — could legally authorize a transfer while he remained under contract with the Brazilian club. The contracts negotiated between Barcelona and Neymar’s camp were structured as an advance agreement for a future transfer, first upon Neymar becoming a free agent and later via a pre-contract arrangement, which the court deemed a legitimate business strategy rather than a deceptive scheme.
The ruling was delivered by a panel consisting of magistrates Juan Ramón Berdugo, Antonio del Moral, Pablo Llarena, Vicente Magro, and Leopoldo Puente, who upheld the acquittal originally granted by the Provincial Court of Barcelona. The court explicitly rejected the prosecution’s claims of improper contract simulation and private corruption, stating the evidence failed to demonstrate any illicit intent or financial detriment to DIS.
Neymar, who starred for Barcelona from 2013 to 2017 before moving to Paris Saint-Germain, has consistently maintained his innocence throughout the decade-long legal process. Rosell served as Barcelona president from 2010 to 2014, while Bartomeu held the role from 2014 to 2020; both had faced potential legal consequences tied to the transfer’s structuring during their tenures.
The dismissal brings finality to a case that has periodically resurfaced in Spanish football discourse, particularly during contract negotiations and transfer window debates involving third-party ownership models. While such arrangements have since been restricted by FIFA regulations, the 2013 Neymar transfer occurred under a different regulatory landscape that permitted private investment in player economic rights.
For Barcelona, the ruling removes a lingering legal cloud over one of the most significant acquisitions in the club’s modern era. Neymar went on to form the renowned MSN attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, helping the team win the continental treble in the 2014–2015 season before his departure catalyzed a period of transition.
As of this confirmation, no further appeals are available under Spanish judicial procedure, meaning the acquittal stands as irrevocable. The decision underscores the high burden of proof required in white-collar prosecutions involving complex sports transactions, where distinguishing between aggressive negotiation and criminal conduct remains legally nuanced.
Looking ahead, Neymar continues his professional career in Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal, while Barcelona navigates post-Lionel Messi era rebuilding under current sporting management. The resolved case serves as a reference point for how sports-related financial disputes are adjudicated when they reach the nation’s highest judicial body.
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