Neymar admits ‘exaggerated’ reactions at World Cup

Ridiculed the world over for faking and diving during a disappointing World Cup campaign in Russia, Brazil forward Neymar has admitted to “exaggerated” reactions saying he is still learning to deal with frustration.

In a 90-second video made for his sponsor Gillette and published on social media accounts and Brazilian television, Neymar sought to win back fans who criticized his behavior.

“Studs on my calf, knee in my back, stamp on my foot,” he said. “You might think I exaggerate and sometimes I really do exaggerate. But the fact is that I suffer on the field.

“There’s still a child inside me. Sometimes he enchants the world and sometimes he irritates the world.”

The Paris Saint-Germain striker had hoped the World Cup in Russia would elevate him to a similar status enjoyed by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – the two players who have shared the FIFA World Player of the Year award over the last decade.

Instead, he bowed out at the quarterfinal stage when Brazil lost to Belgium as fans focused less on his game and more on the dives, rolls and tears he produced.

The 26-year-old former Santos and Barcelona player, who suffered a serious foot injury in February and returned to action just days before the start of the World Cup, told fans in his homeland he was working to become a better person and deal with the disappointments soccer threw at him.