Recent comments made by Neymar after his latest performance for Paris Saint Germain have caused a stir on social media. The Brazilian was thrilled when he helped his side eject Bayern Munich from the Champions League last night – the Ligue 1 side banked their place in the semi finals after a nail-biting 3-3 draw swayed in their favour due to the away goal rule.However, Neymar's choice of words following PSG's win sparked controversy. The 29-year-old compared the European victory to stealing someone's date after a photo of him celebrating in front of Joshua Kimmich went viral. 

"You can have possession of the ball, you can sing for a woman all night long, but if a guy comes and stings you in five minutes, in the end the girl has left," Neymar was reported saying after the match.

His comments have not only unsettled a lot of women's football fans on Twitter, but it has attracted some derogatory comments towards women from those who support Neymar. 

His winning analogy was not only an unhelpful comparison but it has created unnecessary ground for sexist comments and insults. This only continues to hinder the growth of women's sport – no matter how small or insignificant a throwaway comment may seem, it can have lasting effects.

Comments like these, particularly on social media, can be used as ammunition to justify the unfair treatment we often see towards female athletes. As one leap is taken towards closing the gender gap, a small step back is taken every time women are used as the butt of a joke.