Argentines treat Messi like God”, “Portuguese treat Ronaldo like king”
Brazil international Raphinha is disappointed that Selecao fans are ignoring Neymar as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are celebrated in their respective countries.
Brazil kicked off the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Thursday (November 24) with a 2-0 win over Serbia. A brace from Richarlison, the second of which was a superb overhead kick, earned them all three points.
However, the night turned sour for the Selecao when Neymar was sent off in the 80th minute of the match with an ankle injury. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar was left devastated by his teammates’ sweat over his fitness.
Scans showed the 30-year-old striker suffered an ankle ligament injury. It has since emerged that he will miss Brazil’s final group matches against Switzerland and Cameroon.
Neymar’s injury has been a blow for Brazil but Raphinha thinks many fans are happy to see the forward ruled out. He highlighted how Messi and Ronaldo are treated by their fans and claimed his country didn’t deserve his teammates.
Raphinha echoed the words of a fan of the PSG superstar on her Instagram:
“The Argentines treat Messi as God. The Portuguese treat Cristiano Ronaldo as king. Brazilian fans cheer for Neymar to break his leg, how sad. The biggest mistake of Neymar’s career is being born in Brazil. This country does not deserve his talent and his football.”
A photo of Neymar’s injury: He came out limping and swollen as big as an egg