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.
https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/1013813047897489409
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.
https://twitter.com/RTEsoccer/status/1013807573688971265
Layun was lucky to escape punishment, but Neymar, once again, did himself no favours with his bizarre behaviour.
https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/1013808183889088513
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.
https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/1013806670705807362
https://twitter.com/AlexShawESPN/status/1013806331302760449
https://twitter.com/FootballMemesCo/status/1013808192621604864
https://twitter.com/honigstein/status/1013806838637318144
https://twitter.com/alanshearer/status/1013807162324373504
https://twitter.com/jacklang/status/1013808408678498305
