APSupporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro protest his Supreme Court trial, in which he is accused of involvement in a 2022 coup attempt, in Sao Paulo, Sunday, June, 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ettore Chiereguini) Brazil is known for vast Amazon forest and soccer prowess among other things. Record five-time world cup winners have crazy soccer fans. A Brazilian accused of stealing a football autographed by Neymar from Congress during the 2023 riots by supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment for the theft and other charges, as per a report.The Supreme Court on Monday night convicted 34-year-old Nelson Ribeiro Fonseca Junior over the robbery of the ball. He was also convicted of violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, armed criminal association and attempting a coup over his participation in the riots in Brasilia, AFP reported.More than 500 people have been convicted over the events of January 8, 2023, when thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace to protest his election loss to left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.Ribeiro confessed to taking the ball, which Neymar's boyhood club Santos -- to which he returned this year -- gifted to the Chamber of Deputies in 2012. His lawyers claimed that he found it on the floor of Congress during the unrest, took it away to protect it and handed it in 20 days later to the police.Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that Ribeiro had "actively participated" in events leading to the storming and sacking of Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace.Live EventsMoraes described the ball which he took, which had been on display in a corridor, as a "public good belonging to the public heritage" of Brazil.The riots came a week after Lula was sworn in after narrowly defeating far-right incumbent Bolsonaro in October 2022 elections. The demonstrators called for the military to intervene to oust him.Bolsonaro, a former army captain who served a single term from 2019 to 2022, is accused of instigating the riots, although he was in the United States at the time. He is on trial for allegedly plotting to wrest power from Lula in the event of his victory. Prosecutors claim the plot only failed due to a lack of military backing. Bolsonaro denies the charges.FAQsQ1. Who is Jair Bolsonaro?A1. Jair Bolsonaro is a former President of Brazil. Bolsonaro, a former army captain who served a single term from 2019 to 2022, is accused of instigating the riots, although he was in the United States at the time.Q2. How many times Brazil won soccer world cup?A2. Brazil won soccer world cup five times.(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onBrazil newsBrazil latest newsNeymarNeymar latest newsBrazil soccer fans (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onBrazil newsBrazil latest newsNeymarNeymar latest newsBrazil soccer fans(Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless Explore More Stories123