The whistle goes for a free kick in a dangerous position, or a penalty, the player who commits the foul is on a yellow card. The player who is awarded the foul is still rolling on the ground, with a grimace and his hands raised in the air. Players crowd the referee, and the fans think this must be serious. But what does the replay show? The contact was only slight, and the player on the ground should be nominated for the Oscars.

This happens quite a lot in the modern game, with players exaggerating the contact they receive from opponents to get a favorable decision.
So we thought to put the spotlight on the odd few who go after scenarios like this with a bit of frequency.

This article examines 3 of the biggest divers in world football, consisting of only active players. The bet365 Nigeria registration guide can assist you with your journey of betting for fun on these players – whether they wreak havoc with their lives or keep it clean all the way…

Neymar Jr

There are hardly any footballers with as much talent as Neymar Jr. His ability to move past defenses and create mouth-watering plays in games is only bested by Messi and a handful of players. Make no mistake, because of Neymar’s skill on the ball, he makes a lot of contact with one or two trailing legs and is subject to a few rough tackles. However, Neymar is also famous for his exaggeration of contact and his propensity to go down in areas of minimal contact.

Neymar’s flopping antics became even more famous at the 2019 World Cup, and he even became a social media phenomenon when young academy players would go down at the instruction of their coaches in a move called the Neymar.

Referees are well aware of this, and it might have caused a few fouls to have not been called on Neymar Jr. He’s one of the only few who has been shown a red card for simulation.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Is he the GOAT of football? Well, you won’t get that answer here.

What you will get is the fact that Ronaldo is not only an amazing footballer but an amazing actor too. Ronaldo does a lot to secure a goal for a player who doesn’t have a problem with scoring. From leaving a trailing leg after completing a dribble to jumping like someone who has been shot when he gets pushed, CR7 has been recorded in many flopping situations.

Because of his footballing reputation, makes it easier for referees to believe that he has been fouled, and the way he manages to get his face blood red after a tackle helps too. Ronaldo often gets up almost immediately after being awarded a foul and even proceeds to take the penalty or free kick with no apparent injury concerns. If you were that injured, you wouldn’t jump so high in the air and do a SUUUUUU afterward.

Angel Di Maria

In a Bleacher Report article published in 2011, Di Maria was named the greatest diver in football history. He became a maestro in getting penalties or getting free kicks in dangerous positions. In 2011 alone, Di Maria won six of Real Madrid’s ten penalties of the season. Of course, there was no VAR to verify the true nature of these incidents.

All of the above are fantastic players with incredible talent, and this article does not seek to discount their professionalism on and off the field. Every player dives and exaggerates contact, it is simply a part of the game.

But these are the ones who would win a Diver d’Or if it ever came up.