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Portrait of Dani Alves

Photo: Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Brasil · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Born in Brazil · Nationalities Brazilian, Spanish — Sport / Football

Dani Alves

Sport

Documented profile covering 11 controversies, including “TSJC: Unanimous acquittal on appeal; complainant and prosecutor lodge cassation appeals with Supreme Court” and “Barcelona Provincial Court: First-instance sentence of four and a half years, subsequently overturned”.

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Profile No. 1438 · Updated on 12 October 2026

Portrait of Dani Alves

Photo: Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Brasil · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
11Documented controversies
20Sources
0Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 4 documented stages

TSJC: Unanimous acquittal on appeal; complainant and prosecutor lodge cassation appeals with Supreme Court

Acquitted / conviction overturned
01

28 March 2025–12 September 2026

TSJC: Unanimous acquittal on appeal; complainant and prosecutor lodge cassation appeals with Supreme Court

Acquitted / conviction overturned

On 28 March 2025, the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Cataluña unanimously acquits Alves, overturning the 2024 conviction on grounds of shortcomings, inconsistencies and insufficiencies which, according to the court, prevented the presumption of innocence from being overcome. The complainant announces and subsequently lodges an appeal, and in May 2025 the prosecution formally files a cassation appeal before the Supreme Court. No subsequent substantive decision by the Supreme Court had been identified as at 12 September 2026 in the verified sources.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    ReutersSpanish court overturns Dani Alves' rape convictionNews agencyVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    RTVELa Fiscalía recurre la absolución de Alves por agresión sexual por haber «condenado moralmente» a la víctimaBroadcastVery high reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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02

22 February 2024–28 March 2025

Barcelona Provincial Court: First-instance sentence of four and a half years, subsequently overturned

Acquitted / conviction overturned

On 22 February 2024, the Audiencia Provincial de Barcelona finds Alves guilty of sexual assault and sentences him to four years and six months in prison, together with 150,000 euros in compensation and other measures. This conviction is no longer the final legal status: it was entirely overturned on appeal in March 2025.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    ReutersEx-Brazil soccer star Dani Alves sentenced to 4-1/2 years in jail for sexual assaultNews agencyVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    RTVEEl Tribunal Superior de Cataluña absuelve a Dani Alves del delito de agresión sexual por el que fue condenadoBroadcastVery high reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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04

20 January 2023–25 March 2024

Sutton case: Arrest and fourteen months in pre-trial detention

Formally charged

Alves is arrested in Barcelona in January 2023 following a sexual assault complaint concerning alleged events at the Sutton nightclub in late December 2022. The court orders his pre-trial detention, notably because of the risk of absconding. He remains imprisoned for approximately fourteen months before release on bail in March 2024.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    ReutersDani Alves to remain in jail pending sexual assault trial - Spanish courtNews agencyVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    ReutersDani Alves released from prison after paying €1m bailNews agencyVery high reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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05

20–25 March 2024

Release on bail of one million euros pending appeal against conviction

Acquitted / conviction overturned

Following his first-instance conviction, Alves secures release while appeals are considered, subject to bail of one million euros, surrender of his passports and reporting requirements. He leaves Brians 2 prison on 25 March 2024.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    ReutersDani Alves released from prison after paying €1m bailNews agencyVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    RTVELa denunciante de Alves recurrirá ante el Supremo su absoluciónBroadcastVery high reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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03

20 January 2023–1 September 2025

Pumas UNAM: Contract terminated after arrest, followed by arbitral award ordering $2.25 million payment to club

Civil / administrative proceedings

Pumas UNAM terminates Alves's contract immediately following his January 2023 arrest and claims several million dollars under contractual and image-rights clauses. Following a much more limited initial FIFA decision, the Court of Arbitration for Sport partially upholds the club's appeal in 2025 and orders Alves to pay it 2.25 million dollars plus interest.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    ESPNDani Alves deberá pagar 2.2 millones a Pumas tras fallo del TASPressHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    ReutersSpanish court overturns Dani Alves' rape convictionNews agencyVery high reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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06

2021–November 2022

DNA Institute: 'ONG de prateleira' controversy over access to federal funds, subsequently dismissed by TCU

Civil / administrative proceedings

The DNA Institute linked to Alves takes over an inactive association to meet the minimum operating-history requirement for agreements with Brazil's federal government. An agreement worth 3.5 million reais for 3x3 basketball projects is challenged before the Tribunal de Contas da União; technical staff identify structural weaknesses and the public prosecutor attached to the TCU requests suspension of payments. The TCU ultimately finds no established irregularity and closes the case.

State of the evidence
Documented

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Folha de S.PauloGoverno Bolsonaro autoriza verba a 'ONGs de prateleira' de Sheik e Daniel AlvesPressHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    Folha de S.PauloEleitor de Bolsonaro, Dani Alves teve aval para captar R$ 5,4 mi em verba federalPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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07

November–December 2022

2022 World Cup: Selection at 39 strongly contested despite Tite's defence

No legal proceedings

Alves's selection for the 2022 World Cup is one of Tite's most contested choices. At 39, after only twelve matches with Pumas and a period without competitive football, he ranks far behind other full-backs in supporter polls, and his selection attracts criticism and mockery on social media.

State of the evidence
Documented

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    geTite explica convocação de Daniel Alves para a Copa do Mundo, mais velho da história da SeleçãoPressHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    geVC Convoca x Tite: compare a lista final com a dos internautas do ge para a Copa do MundoPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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08

10–16 September 2021

São Paulo FC: Refusal to report amid R$18 million in arrears and early contract termination

Civil / administrative proceedings

After returning from international duty, Alves refuses to resume training until São Paulo settles arrears estimated at approximately 18 million reais, primarily relating to image rights and other contractual obligations. The club announces that he will no longer play for the team, and the parties subsequently terminate the contract fifteen months early, with an instalment payment agreement.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    geDívida do São Paulo com Daniel Alves alcança os R$ 18 milhões; veja detalhesPressHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    geDaniel Alves assina rescisão de contrato com o São PauloPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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09

June 2018–June 2019

Spain: Listed among major tax debtors for approximately €2.6 million, subsequently removed

No legal proceedings

In 2018, Dani Alves appears on Spain's list of taxpayers owing more than one million euros to the tax authorities, with a reported debt of approximately 2.6 million euros. The following year, he no longer appears on the list after reductions, settlement or deferment of the amounts due.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Personally implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Cinco Días / EL PAÍSRodrigo Rato entra en la ‘lista negra’ de morosos de la Agencia TributariaPressHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    Cinco Días / EL PAÍSSito Pons y algunas filiales de Abengoa e Isolux entran en la lista de morosos con HaciendaPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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10

May 2015–June 2017

FC Barcelona: Public dispute over contract extension followed by accusations of disrespect towards management

No legal proceedings

As his contract approaches expiry in 2015, Dani Alves says FC Barcelona does not respect him and that he is '200%' committed to the team but considerably less to the club. After leaving on a free transfer in 2016, he accuses the directors of being false, ungrateful and disrespectful in handling his future, saying he felt pushed out.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Personally implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    EL PAÍSDani Alves: «El Barça no me respeta»PressHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    The GuardianDani Alves: I made one final promise to the Barcelona board – ‘You’ll miss me’PressHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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11

8–9 January 2016

Insults directed at Spanish press on Instagram: Public disavowal by FC Barcelona

No legal proceedings

Following a tense derby against Espanyol, Alves posts a crude attack on part of the Spanish sports press on Instagram, accusing it of seeking sensationalism and inflaming disputes. FC Barcelona publicly distances itself from the form of his remarks and reprimands him.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Personally implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    The Guardian / ReutersBarcelona’s Dani Alves slams ‘garbage’ press on social mediaNews agencyHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    EL PAÍSEl club reprende a Alves por insultar a los medios en InstagramPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

  • Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
  • Line width: number of documented references
  • Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (1)
  1. Pepe1 documented reference

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