Fifa World Cup: Neymar blames Brazil diving dramatics on opponents trying to tackle him
Paris Saint-Germain star says critics can ‘never understand’ because they haven’t experienced the rough treatment he deals with from defenders
Neymar has defended himself from accusations of diving and play-acting at the World Cup after being roundly mocked for his theatrics in a social media avalanche of memes.
The Brazil star’s dramatics in Russia, where he rolled around on the pitch in feigned agony several times, drew universal criticism from fans and fellow players – other than his own teammates and manager, of course.
The most popular meme doing the rounds on Twitter and Instagram is the “Neymar Challenge”, where fans film themselves imitating Neymar’s antics, and the Paris Saint-Germain forward even tried to see the funny side by posting his own version of it.
“I saw [the jokes] but I took them with humour,” Neymar told reporters at a charity auction for his foundation, the Neymar Institute. “Even yesterday I posted on Instagram a joke with the children about it.
“My football is to dribble, to face the opponent. I can’t stand in front of the opponent and say, ‘My dear, excuse me, I want to score a goal’.