Paulinho was banned for 1 game by the Superior Court of Sports Justice for an obscene gesture
The Full Court suspended the striker, from , for 1 game, this Wednesday (June 3, 2026). The punishment stems from the celebration of a goal in the 3-0 victory over , at Maracanã, in the 17th round of the Brazilian Championship.
The player had been acquitted in the first instance a week ago, but the agency’s Attorney’s Office appealed the decision. The judgment of the appeal was unanimous in the Full Court, the last national instance of sports justice. Paulinho was punished based on article 258 of the , which provides for conduct contrary to discipline or sporting ethics.
In the match, the striker showed his middle fingers towards the rival fans during the celebration of Palmeiras’ 3rd goal. The case’s rapporteur, Mariana Barreiras, declared that the attitude was a gesture “objectively obscene” on the field during a high-visibility match, even if there was uncertainty about the intention to provoke opposing fans. The Palmeiras defense stated that the signal was directed at the fans themselves and that other athletes made similar gestures without punishment, but the argument was rejected by the auditors.
With the suspension, Paulinho will miss Palmeiras in the match against Coritiba, on July 22, when the Brazilian Championship resumes after the World Cup. The board of directors of the São Paulo club criticized the decision and said it was dissatisfied with the court’s decision, claiming there was an asymmetry in relation to punishments for other athletes. There is no longer any appeal at the national level, with the only possibility for the club to take action in Switzerland.
