The Tottenham forward says he spent about R$10m on the property and received nothing. Mr Bolsonaro’s representatives deny that he owned, bought or controlled it, and a lawyer who holds the property rights disputes the claim.
Richarlison has called on Brazil’s federal police to investigate Senator Flavio Bolsonaro over what he alleges was an unlawful takeover of his private island. In a video posted on social media, the Brazilian striker said that he spent about R$10m (around £1.5m) on the property and has received no money. Mr Bolsonaro’s representatives deny any involvement in the ownership dispute. Richarlison made the allegations days before the presidential run-off on 25 October, in which Mr Bolsonaro faces Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Richarlison’s account
In the video, Richarlison said: “Between 2020 and 2021, I bought the island. Several potential buyers then came forward, but I didn’t want to sell it. Flavio Bolsonaro was among those interested. He even used a drone to film the island from above, and there’s a video of it on his Instagram.”
He went on: “But I didn’t want to sell the island to him and they took advantage of the situation in court. We were sorting out the paperwork (documentation for the island’s ownership), and they said it would take months or even years to resolve.”
He alleged that Mr Bolsonaro and a man he named as “Willian Tomas” “went there and, in 24 hours, took possession of the island. That’s where the justice system failed. Those guys took the island without spending a penny, as far as I know.”
Richarlison said he was seeking help from the federal police and wanted answers. “I want to recover my money, not get the island back,” he said. If he recovered it, he said, he would donate part to a hospital in his home town. “I just want what’s rightfully mine, which I earned through hard work.” He also urged supporters to demand answers from Mr Bolsonaro before the run-off.
The response
Willer Tomaz, a Brazilian lawyer whose company currently controls the property, has challenged Richarlison to produce documents. According to Brazilian outlet UOL, on 17 October he set a 72-hour deadline and said he would transfer the property rights to the footballer without payment if valid evidence was supplied. He asked for a property deed, registered purchase agreement or federal registration, documents dating from before July 2022, evidence linking Richarlison to the property, and proof of the claimed R$10m payment.
Correio da Manha reported on Monday that Richarlison had said he would soon show documentation, and that Mr Tomaz had displayed documents supporting his own company’s position. It has not been verified that Richarlison has published the evidence or that Mr Tomaz has accepted it.
Mr Tomaz says documents filed in the earlier proceedings identified payments of R$2.6m to third parties, not R$10m, and disputes whether they created any right to the property. He also says police had examined the matter before and closed their inquiry for lack of any sign of a crime. UOL found reporting of that claim but no published police decision confirming it. It is not clear whether the federal police have opened a new inquiry, and a request for one does not mean that one has begun. Mr Tomaz also says Richarlison is already a defendant in proceedings in Brasilia over earlier public statements about the property. The existence of proceedings does not mean the allegations were knowingly false.
Mr Bolsonaro’s representatives told UOL that he was never a party to the ownership litigation, did not buy, sell or broker the property, and was named only as a potential witness. UOL reports that he visited the mansion with Mr Tomaz in 2021, but that does not establish he later acquired it or directed the court case.
What the dispute covers
The disputed asset appears to be a luxury mansion and related possession rights on Ilha Comprida, near Angra dos Reis, not an entire island, according to UOL’s reading of Brazilian court reporting. UOL’s timeline says Richarlison reports investing in the property in 2020 and 2021, the dispute drew attention in 2022, a court ruled in favour of the opposing company in March 2025, and appeals failed, including at the Superior Court of Justice. Parties linked to Richarlison’s former business partner Renato Velasco withdrew from the case in August 2025, and the filing reportedly recognised WT Administracao de Imoveis, which is associated with Mr Tomaz, as holder of the possession rights. That does not necessarily mean Richarlison accepted the outcome.
The matter has entered the campaign. The Workers’ Party president, Edinho Silva, has referred to Richarlison’s allegations while criticising Mr Bolsonaro. Separately, Brazilian newspapers have reported investigations involving Mr Tomaz over alleged leaks of judicial information. No link to this dispute has been established.
Richarlison’s season
Richarlison has been left out of Roberto De Zerbi’s 25-man Premier League squad after failing to leave Tottenham in the summer window. He appeared to have a public disagreement with Mr De Zerbi, posting an article suggesting the pair had fought. He has played for Spurs’ Under-21s, scoring twice in a 2-2 draw with Cheltenham Town in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy, which Cheltenham won on penalties. His only Premier League outing this season was a 3-0 defeat by Brentford, when he played 68 minutes.
