Real or fake? Neymar impersonator steals the show as Brazil fans scramble to take selfies

Brazil, the top-ranked side in the FIFA rankings, qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022 Round of 16, courtesy of Casemiro’s late winner against Switzerland in the Group G match on Monday. While Casemiro hogged the most limelight, Neymar Jr. also became a trend on social media, despite not making an appearance after being sidelined due to injury. Neymar suffered a severe foot injury during Brazil’s tournament opener against Serbia and hence, was ruled out from the entire group stage.

However, Brazilian fans in attendance at the Stadium 974 went crazy after a Neymar-lookalike was spotted in the stands. While it looked like Neymar himself was cheering for his national team from the stands, he was evidently an impersonator as the PSG forward was watching the game from his bed. Neymar took to his Instagram stories and shared a picture of his injured leg before the match kicked off, with the caption, “Boraaaa (Let’s go)”.

Fans went crazy in the stadium upon noticing the Neymar impersonator, as they thought the striker had graced the stands. Numerous spectators were seen scrambling and surrounding the impersonator, in an attempt to sneak selfies with him. At the same time, the 'fake' Neymar also became a trending topic on Twitter and received reactions from all corners of the football world.

Casemiro's late winner helped Brazil advance into the World Cup Round of 16

Casemiro scored an 83rd-minute goal against Switzerland to take Brazil through a 1-0 win, their second straight victory in Group G. Earlier on November 25, star striker Richarlison scored two goals for Brazil and kicked off the team’s campaign with a 2-0 triumph. Brazil will now face Cameroon in the final group-stage game on December 3.

Will Neymar Jr. recover in time for World Cup knockouts?

It is pertinent to mention that Neymar has been ruled out the group stage, but is expected to recover by the time the FIFA World Cup knockouts begin. The Round of 16 is scheduled to be held between December 3 to December 7, before the quarterfinals begin on December 9. The semi-final matches will be held on December 14 and 15, followed by the third-place play-off on December 17. Meanwhile, the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar is scheduled to finish with the summit clash on December 1.8