Neymar Is Being Ridiculed For His Theatrics Against Mexico Yesterday

Neymar might be leading Brazil through the World Cup, but he's hardly winning many friends along the way.

The Paris St Germain superstar has scored twice at the tournament so far, including one yesterday to give his side a lead against Mexico, but his antics in every other aspect of the game seem to have riled plenty of neutrals around the world.

There's the selfishness - you'd think that he was the only decent player Brazil had on his performances - and the constant debate with the referees, of course, but these are standard gripes about his performances.

PA

The biggest issue is, as anyone who has seen him play will know, the playacting. Not diving per se - Neymar does cop a legitimately large amount of fouls - but embellishing every contact and, as seen in a clash with Mexico's

Miguel Layun yesterday, outright histrionics.

Neymar was lying prone on the floor yesterday, slightly off the pitch, when he was trodden on by the El Tri midfielder.

While it was an obvious foul - and Layun was lucky to stay on the field - Neymar reacted in a way that was shameful both to himself and the game, rolling around in fake agony on the floor.

Luckily, the internet was on hand to turn the joke on the Brazil forward. He was immediately mocked up in memes that poked fun at his fake pain, with jokes on Twitter comparing him to a baby, an Olympic diver, an Oscar winner and a seal on dry land.

Twitter

In the TV studio, the pundits were not impressed either.

"His reaction is pathetic, absolutely pathetic," said former Celtic, Leicester City and current Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill. "Mark (Clattenburg) is right it's a red card but the pain threshold of Neymar is incredibly low.

"I wouldn't want to see him coming out of the doctors' surgery after getting a flu injection."

Instagram

England legend Alan Shearer added: "It's absolutely pathetic.

"There's no doubting the ability of him. We saw it with the back heel, then the finish and then setting up for the second goal, he's a magnificent player.

"But it really is pathetic when he is rolling around as if he is in agony. Why does he feel he needs to do that?

"I think it's been a magnificent tournament but the one downside has been seeing players feign injury and running to the referees and trying to get other players sent off."

Topics: SPORT, Russia 2018, Neymar, World Cup

Mike Wood

Mike Meehall Wood is a freelance journalist and translator. He writes for LADbible, VICE and countless sports publications, focusing on rugby league, football and boxing. He is a graduate of Leeds University and maintains a fizzy pop obsession. Contact Mike at [email protected]