Neymar's a big deal right now. Really big deal. Not only is he eliciting comparisons to Pele and sporting a really suspect 'hawk, he's also got much of Europe the portion with big wallets all hot and flustered in inappropriate ways. (Bit of a baby, though.)

Apparently hackers are so convinced people want to see Neymar hot and flustered, they're using him to target prey with promises of a sex tape.

Brazilian soccer assistant referee Nadine Schram Câmara Bastos worked the lines of Sunday's 2-2 draw between Campeonato Brasileiro Série A leaders Corinthians and mid-table Ceará. Given that it is still a rarity to see female match officials in top level men's matches, the dental assistant caught the attention of the cameras while in action.

Pop superstar Rihanna is currently on the Brazilian leg of her 2011 Loud world tour. While in the country, the Bajan singer has followed in the steps of Miley Cyrus, The Rock and Vin Diesel in being seen with a Brazilian soccer jersey. Unlike the other stars mentioned however, Rihanna was not photographed with a [.

Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football club from the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais founded on January 2, 1921. Cruzeiro currently campaigns in the top-tier of Brazilian soccer – the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. The club finished in 2nd place in last season's league and won the 2010 Campeonato Mineiro.

Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football club from the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais founded on January 2, 1921 that has featured players such as Alex, Dida, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ramires through the years. The club currently campaigns in the top-tier of Brazilian soccer – the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and finished [.

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By DAVID MOSSE
Ronaldinho confirmed his good form by scoring a goal and helping set up another, but Flamengo was held to a 2-2 draw by Internacional on Sunday thanks to the brilliance of Leandro Damiao. The Internacional hitman is one of the rising stars of Brazilian soccer and was recently called up to the national team along with Ronaldinho for the upcoming friendly against Ghana in London.

Pop superstar Rihanna is currently on the Brazilian leg of her 2011 Loud world tour. While in the country, the Bajan singer has followed in the steps of Miley Cyrus, The Rock and Vin Diesel in being seen with a Brazilian soccer jersey. Unlike the other stars mentioned however, Rihanna was not photographed with a [.

That man to the left is one Paulo Rogério Reis Silva, midfielder of Botafogo in the Brazilian Serie A. He was kidnapped on his way to practice this morning, but is now fine, as evidenced by the giant smile and double thumbs up.

But of more pressing importance, he's more commonly known by his nickname, Somalia.

Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas is one of the four major football clubs in Rio de Janeiro along with Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama. Botafogo FR currently campaigns in the top tier of Brazilian soccer the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A where it finished in an impressive 6th place last season.

By DAVID MOSSE
Brazilian soccer was recently pronounced dead by British magazine FourFourTwo, and, frankly, the senior team did very little to dispel that notion at the Copa America, but Ney Franco's Under-20 side salvaged the summer by capturing Brazil's fifth World Youth Championship.

The boy from Brazil is out of Italy: Ronaldinho is heading home, he announced today at a news conference (AP Photo).

*Sounds like the Galaxy's interest in Ronaldinho is pretty much done at least for the forseeable future:

SAO PAULO (AP) -- Ronaldinho reached an agreement with AC Milan on Thursday to end his contract, clearing the way to return to Brazil soccer.

I have made the decision to begin offering full excerpts of my electronic report, Sports In Translation. Here is the first installment. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send me a message via Linkedin, Facebook or Twitter!
When I embarked upon my dream to become a professional soccer player, I knew that my journey would include international training and playing experiences.

SAO PAULO, Brazil Ronaldinho left the field struggling for words to describe his emotions after his debut for Flamengo and return to Brazilian soccer. The 30-year-old forward helped Flamengo defeat Nova Iguacu 1-0 at a packed Engenhao stadium in the Rio de Janeiro state championship on Wednesday, marking his return to Brazilian soccer after [.

Flamengo fans celebrated Ronaldinho's return to Brazilian soccer after 10 seasons in Europe by donning Ronaldinho masks, waving his pictures and chanting his name. The Sao Paulo stadium was packed with 40,000 fans who keenly watched Ronaldinho's every move and cheered ever time he took part in the action.

A match in the stadium where Holland will face Brazil next month was held up for 20 minutes when a beehive was discovered on one of the crossbars and ended in a free-for-all among players and rival fans.
Police say a supporter has been shot dead following a Brazilian soccer game that was interrupted by a swarm of bees and ended with a brawl between players on the field.

If you are a fan of all things Brazilian soccer, then today is your day.

Brazil's women's and men's national teams are both in action today, while the men's Under-17 national team is also playing, meaning you'll have three chances to see some Samba soccer on display.

The Brazil men kick off their Copa America campaign, while the women look to keep rolling in the World Cup.

Banned Ex.Co. member Mohamed Bin Hammam has slammed Sepp Blatter and Chuck Blazer following his expulsion from football last week.
He compared Blatter to a tyrant wiping out his rivals and called for Blazer to go before the FIFA Ethics Committee for receiving suspicious payments.
Bemoaning his life ban from football, the former Asian Football Confederation chief told Sky News, "This is the act of the dictators and we have witnessed this through history.

* Saturday night in Rio sees the draw for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers for all except South America (CONMEBOL).
All eyes will be on the European draw where 1998 World Cup winners France have been downgraded to the second pot, meaning they will play one of the top seeds England, Spain, Holland, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Norway or Greece.

LONDON, England, October 26, 2011 – Building on years of ergonomic research and footwork analysis, Pelé Sports – the global footwear and apparel brand from Brazilian soccer legend, Pelé – unveiled a first-of-its-kind, multi-purpose performance shoe today at the brand's Spring/Summer 2012 collection launch: the Trinity 3E (now available for pre-order at World Soccer Shop [.

Socrates, the great Brazilian soccer maverick, has died at age 57. Those who saw him play were moved by his style. He glided over the grass, his intelligence working the angles, carving space, inspirational and beautiful. He was unlike the other midfield maestro of his era Maradona. The Argentine was a short squat explosive; Socrates embodied elegance and poise, something special, the man with the golden heel.