Alves: Neymar play-acting memes are no joke

Dani Alves is failing to see the funny side of the memes that mocked Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar's theatrics at the World Cup.

Neymar's flops and flounderings in Russia garnered plenty of attention - particularly in one incident when he writhed in apparent pain following a clash with Mexico's Miguel Layun - and led to some unwanted roasting on social media. One particular clip showed a roll from the Brazilian star during a group meeting with Switzerland being extended into a journey where he narrowly misses truck wheels and flattens pedestrians.

Alves, who had to sit out the tournament through injury, isn't amused.

"No. I don't think it's a joke. When it becomes repetitive, it stops being a joke and starts to be something trying to cause damage," Alves told reporters, as quoted by ESPN.

"But I think human being intelligence is not to let these kinds of things shoot you down. We who are around him are making sure that it doesn't matter to him. The most important thing is about who you are, not what others think about you."

Neymar has been recorded defending his actions - "a lot of times I'm faster and lighter than other players and they tackle me, and the referee is there for that. Do you think I want to suffer tackles all the time? No, it is painful, it hurts," he told the assembled media. But many will surmise the forward's World Cup as one where he could have been a protagonist, yet it sadly ended in mockery for the 26-year-old.