NEYMAR has revealed he mixed a cheeky insult with a ‘greatest player ever’ tribute when he gave Lionel Messi an emotional embrace after Argentina’s Copa America final win.
PSG’s Brazil striker Neymar put his own devastation to hug his former Barcelona team-mate for finally triumphing in a major international tournament.
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Neymar later posted on Instagram: “Losing hurts me and it’s something I still haven’t learned to live with.
“Yesterday, when I lost, I went to give a hug to the greatest and best I have ever seen play in football history, my friend and brother Messi.
“I was sad and I joked to him ‘you son of a bitch, you’ve beaten me!’
“I’m very sad to have lost, but this guy is awesome! I have great respect for what he has done for football and especially for me.
“I hate to lose! But enjoy your title. Football was waiting for you for that moment! Congratulations brother.”
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni revealed that main man Messi, 34, had played with a hamstring injury through most of the tournament.
Angel Di Maria hit the only goal of the final to sink hosts Brazil but Messi topped their stats overall.
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He finished the competition with our goals and five assists in seven games.
But Scaloni said: “If you knew the way that he played in the Copa America you’d love him even more.
“You can never do without a player like him, even when he is not fully fit like in this game and the previous one.”
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