The Warm-Up: How not to become the world's best player by Neymar

If reports are to be believed, Neymar decided to leave Barcelona on March 08 2017. It was the day he, almost single-handedly, dragged Barcelona through to the quarter-final stage of the Champions League courtesy of a 6-1 second-leg win against future employers PSG.

He was imperious. Imperious on a pitch that also included Lionel Messi. One problem, mind, Messi was on the front page of almost every paper the following morning. It was quite the iconic photo, so fair enough. Neymar reasoned that to be recognised as the best footballer in the world he had to step out of Messi's shadow, so fair enough.

Alas, Neymar has, also according to reports, taken a liberal attitude to his application in training since he moved to the farmer's league sponsored by Uber Eats*. Apparently he loves a rave (not as much as Jordan Pickford, obviously - get the rave on laaaaaa), and does not particularly like training too hard. Not fair enough.

Now, the Warm-Up is no expert but to be the best in the world it is probably advisable to commit yourself to your chosen field.

Anyway, PSG have had enough and want rid. Only problem is there are no takers as he costs a lot and has a burgeoning reputation for being a pain in the backside - whether that is fair or not is open to debate but it is a reputation all the same.

His demise has been so accelerated that the Warm-Up posits that were this 2002, Sam Allardyce and Bolton Wanderers might come knocking. Anyway, it is not 2002, so it looks like PSG and Neymar are stuck with each other.

*The Warm-Up has the utmost respect for Ligue Un.

At the 2018 World Cup in Russia there were rubbish teams, there were average teams and there were excellent teams; at the 2019 World Cup in France there are rubbish teams, there are average teams and there are excellent teams.

At the 2018 World Cup in Russia there were rubbish players, there were average players and there were excellent players; at the 2019 World Cup in France there are rubbish players, there are average players and there are excellent players.

This is what a World Cup is.

Like anything, though, if you arrive with an agenda you're probably not going to enjoy it, so best to move along and watch something else and let the rest of us enjoy an exhibition of football.

On the subject of excellence, what a player Vivianne Miedema is. At just 22 she became the Netherlands top goalscorer after a brace against Cameroon in a 3-1 win took her to 60 international goals. Woof.

Finally, some communication. Maybe just maybe this will sort out the absolute nonsense that is VAR at the moment. To be clear, VAR is utter garbage and confusion. At least fans at the Copa America might now have a clue as to what is going on.

On the subject of reasoning - tenuous link ahoy - Lionel Messi is, contrary to what some clown on Twitter says, still excellent at football. Still the best, in fact. To say otherwise lacks sense, rhyme or reason (tenuous link ahoy).

Argentina are garbage. Utterly so. Almost as bad as VAR. The Dog and Duck, if they got an invitation to the Copa, might take them to be fair. There are deep rooted issues there. The team, the set-up, the lot. Not even Messi can sort that guff.

Still a baller though.

Roberto Carlos. Still absolutely has it.

Piers Morgan. Why you say? It's Piers Morgan.

Got an issue with that? Move along now.

Everyone is banging on about it because it is quality. Therefore, get yourself down the local cinema and have a gander at the Diego Maradona film by Asif Kapadia.

Maradona was different, and so was his warm up routine. Enjoy that and the accompanying big tune.

More Women's World Cup action. Happy days. It is China v Spain and South Africa v Germany at 17:00 followed by Korea Republic v Norway and Nigeria v France at 20:00. There is also tennis action from the Nature Valley Classic and WTA Santa Ponsa.