‘It’s a Brazil thing’: PSG playboy Neymar mocked over ‘plus size’ holiday snaps as fans produce pics of leaner-looking rival Messi

The world's most expensive footballer, Neymar, has been ridiculed by fans after photos emerged of the Brazil striker aboard a yacht in Ibiza, showing him appearing to be carrying a little extra weight close to the new season.

Neymar's club, Paris St. Germain, start their campaign to win back the Ligue 1 title from Lille on Saturday against Troyes, and fans may be a little concerned by their star player seemingly looking out of shape.

Perhaps down in the dumps after Brazil lost the Copa America final to Argentina at the Maracana last month, the 29-year-old appears to be living the good life after the stress of again failing to deliver major silverware for his country.

On the other side of the ball is former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi, though, who ended his own quest for honors in the final and is also holidaying on the Balearic Isle while club president Joan Laporta tries to finalize his new contract.

Still bitter over the way he left the club, some Barca fans have immediately drawn comparisons between the two, pointing to the apparently superior physical condition of their captain, who is five years Neymar's senior and ripped to the bone.

"Spot the difference," commented one."Neymar never had that determination in him. He was all for money from the start," said another.

As Neymar's fanboys begged well-followed accounts to lay off "bodyshaming" their favorite player, claiming he will be able to return to shape "after one week of training", others made wider remarks on a perceived lack of professionalism shown by some players from Neymar's homeland.

"There is a reason why Brazilian stars fade away after 30 – we have seen it before," said one.

"They can never resist the good life."

"It's a Brazil thing," another remarked. "They have this natural fat stored in them. A little holiday and they come back plus size."

Links were inevitably made to party-loving Brazil legend Ronaldinho.

Despite helping Barca to their first Champions League title in 14 years and snatching away Spanish football dominance from arch-rivals Real Madrid in the mid-2000s, Ronaldinho was widely reported to have been sold by Pep Guardiola because the then-Barcelona boss was fearful of his potential bad influence on a young Messi.