Brazilian kid scribbles out £85million Neymar’s name for women’s hero Marta
Iconic picture goes viral with Samba Kings yet to score in Olympic football tournament while the girls reach last eight
BRAZILIAN soccer ace Neymar's transfer from Santos to Barcelona is said to have so far cost a total of £85million in agreed fee and add-ons.
But he's cutting no ice with one young Samba Kings' fan who looks to have swapped allegiance from his country's men's team to the women's.
For host nation Brazil are still searching for their opening win of the Rio 2016 men's football competition after an embarrassing 0-0 draw against Iraq.
And locals are sharing the image of the young boy with his modified version of Neymar’s famous No 10 shirt as he finds favour instead with female star Marta Vieira da Silva.
The word in Rio de Janeiro is that the image "is worth more than a thousand words" and the snap has gone viral on social media as the women’s Olympic national team looks set to steal the spotlight.
Led by Barca's 24-year-old forward Neymar, Brazil's men could not find a way past their stubborn group A rivals Iraq despite having 20 shots on goal.
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It was their second goalless draw of the tournament after an initial blank against South Africa.
In contrast, Brazil's women reached the quarter-finals of their tournament after beating Sweden 5-1, with Marta, 30 - dubbed the greatest female footballer in the world - scoring twice to give her side their second win in group E.
Brazil's men may have won the World Cup a record five times, but the football-mad nation is desperate to finally claim the one prize that has so far eluded them - Olympic gold.
An impatient home crowd of more than 60,000 jeered their failure to beat Iraq, while coach Rogerio Micale said:
"We need to apologise to the fans, to the people."