Neymar is a difficult figure to warm to.
The Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain forward is a fantastic footballer, an incredible talent who is arguably the third best player in the world after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s the world’s most expensive footballer and he’s now three games away from lifting the World Cup as the key player for his country.
However, if he was one of your friends, there would be a WhatsApp group he didn’t know about. He comes across as arrogant, vain and extremely self-centred. It is as though this is Neymar’s world and everyone is just a prop in it. Already at the World Cup, we have seen him insult his teammates, referees and opponents. He appears to elevate his own goals and personal narrative above all others.
Messi and Ronaldo are gone from the World Cup, but Neymar is d(r)iving Brazil forward 😂😂 #WorldCup #BRA pic.twitter.com/AX0owtt7qc
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 2, 2018
Neymar also lets himself down with his diving and histrionics. He sunk to new depths with his antics against Mexico on Monday, as Brazil advanced to the quarter-finals. The 26-year-old opened the scoring in the tie and was then involved in Brazil’s second, which was scored by substitute Roberto Firmino. Before that though, he was involved in an incident with Miguel Layun.
The Mexican defender stood on Neymar’s ankle as the forward sat on the side of the pitch. Neymar began wailing and rolling around as though he had been the victim of a vicious attack.
Miguel Layun is perhaps a tad fortunate not to get a yellow or worse for this clandestine act on Neymar.#RTEsoccerhttps://t.co/6Qu9d33n2u pic.twitter.com/994X5UBg1L
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 2, 2018
Layun was lucky to escape punishment, but Neymar, once again, did himself no favours with his bizarre behaviour.
You okay Neymar? 😳 #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/UGKQYTH8db
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 2, 2018
Diving and simulation is, unfortunately, part of the game at such a high level of competition. However, Neymar takes it too far with his nonsense. It distracts from his brilliance as a footballer and makes him a target for opposition players.
His antics didn’t impress those watching at home.
Neymar has the lowest pain threshold of any player in World Cups since Opta stats began.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 2, 2018
That is utterly pathetic from Neymar. He's just embarrassing to watch. Impossible to warm to him.
— Alex Shaw (@AlexShawTel) July 2, 2018
If Neymar was a Rat… 😅 pic.twitter.com/F4wrzDYQJD
— Football Memes (@FootballMemesCo) July 2, 2018
Wasn't nearly as bad as Neymar made out – there's a surprise – but Layun should have still been sent off. Weird that VAR missed that.
— Raphael Honigstein💙 (@honigstein) July 2, 2018
FFS @neymarjr man. STOP IT. We are fed up of it. #BrazilvsMexico
— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) July 2, 2018
Folha de São Paulo's Paulo VinÃcius Coelho on Neymar earlier in WC:
"Neymar is like the boy who cried wolf. He claims a monster is coming so often that when the wolf does arrive, no one believes him"
— Jack Lang (@jacklang) July 2, 2018
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