Football fans thought they may have caught a glimpse of Brazilian star Neymar in the stands during Brazil’s 1-0 win over Switzerland.
Turns out it was his doppelgänger who well and truly adopted the forward's celebrity status.
An uncanny Neymar imposter was seen taking selfies with fans before managing to gain pitch side access accompanied by official Qatari security.
You could have forgiven some ecstatic supporters for believing they were getting a photo with the PSG sensation, himself.
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Neymar did miss the World Cup fixture after suffering ankle ligament damage during the South American side’s opening game of the tournament.
The Brazilian winger even posted a photo online watching the game from his hotel room with a boot strapped to his ankle.
Neymar had suffered a horrific-looking ankle injury following a heavy tackle from Serbian defender Nikola Milenkovic.
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But that didn’t stop his lookalike from taking full advantage of the situation.
Fans clamoured around the imposter as he appeared to be escorted by security staff in yellow bibs and lanyards.
Spectators were quick to whip out their phones believing they were up close and personal with the football sensation.
It doesn’t seem like it was just football fans who were fooled either.
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The ‘doppleganger’ goes by ‘sosianey’ on TikTok and even posted a video where he looks to be escorted onto the pitch by security personnel.
Some of the guards even rush over to the ‘footballer’ to take photos with him, perhaps believing they are getting a one-on-one moment with the Brazilian star.
It’s unclear whether he was asked to leave the stadium by security or if they too had fallen for his act.
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To be fair to them, the lad looks exactly like the former Barcelona player.
Between his tattoos, facial hair, and body type, you can excuse them for being duped.
The only thing missing is a swollen ankle.
Even US broadcaster Fox Soccer got fooled by the lad.
They posted a video earlier in the day of the imposter walking the streets of Doha after being bombarded by fans.
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They later realised their mistake and tweeted: “UPDATE: we got got.
“Neymar has a very convincing doppelganger.”
Brazil may just need a Neymar clone if the 30-year-old can’t recover from his ankle injury.
They managed a 1-0 victory over Switzerland to secure their entry into the Round of 16, but they’ll undoubtedly be keen to get their star man back in the latter stages of the tournament.
Featured Image Credit: @nocontextfooty/Twitter. @sosianey/TikTok.Topics: Brazil, Neymar, Football, Football World Cup, Qatar
