Neymar: I wondered after the World Cup if maybe I really was diving

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 16: Neymar da Silva Santos J?nior of Brazil lines up ahead of the International Friendly between Brazil and Uruguay at Emirates Stadium on November 16, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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One of the big storylines from the 2018 World Cup was the way Neymar was consistently fouled and the way he dramatically fell to the ground and the forward was affected by the criticism he received.

He has spoken about the allegations of diving that were thrown his way and has revealed they led him to question himself.

“I started to see all of my pieces of play in the World Cup and I thought ‘could it be that I really am diving?’,” he admitted in an interview with Esporte Espetacular.

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He also went on to talk about the criticism he received after Brazil’s elimination.

“I think there was an exaggerated blame placed on me,” he said.

“But I knew to expect that, as it’s always been like this over the course of my career, no?

“I know that when Brazil loses, most of the weight will fall on my back.

“Fernandinho was another who was blamed in a way that I can’t understand.”

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