Why do World Cup soccer players, the planet's most physically gifted athletes, routinely collapse in agony from tackles that barely graze them? A neurosurgeon's analysis offers a startling answer: the brain's reward system, not malice, drives the dive.
In a new Forbes piece, neurosurgeon Dr. Richard Menger dissects the epidemic of simulation—commonly called diving—that mars World Cup matches. Menger argues that elite soccer players fake injuries because the incentives are structurally baked into the sport: a single free kick or penalty can decide a game, and the odds of punishment remain low. He contrasts soccer with rugby and ice hockey, where playing through pain is rewarded and embellishment is culturally shamed.
The phenomenon has deep roots. Diving has been part of soccer for decades, but the modern game's financial stakes—teams earn millions for advancing even one round—amplify the temptation. The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is on track to be the most scrutinized ever, with FIFA deploying advanced video review (VAR). Yet Menger notes that VAR has not eradicated the behavior; it has only shifted it to subtler forms.
Menger, who treats traumatic brain injuries, explains that a player's brain learns to associate feigning pain with reward. When a dive wins a free kick near the box, dopamine fires. Over time, the behavior becomes automated. "It's a conditioned response, not a character flaw," Menger writes. But he also notes that rugby and ice hockey players face disincentives: diving is ridiculed, and referees rarely stop play for minor contact. In those sports, playing through injury is a sign of toughness; in soccer, it can be a tactical error.
Key details from the piece include specific comparisons: soccer allows unlimited substitutions and stoppage time, which reward time-wasting through fake injuries. Rugby, by contrast, has a continuous clock and limited substitutions, making time-wasting pointless. Ice hockey has a high-scoring nature—a single goal is less decisive—and players wear pads, reducing the payoff for feigning contact. The neurosurgeon also cites data from earlier World Cups: in 2018, over 200 potential dives were reviewed by FIFA's panel, but only a handful led to retroactive bans.
The broader implications are significant for the sport's integrity. Simulation erodes fan trust and undermines fair play. Menger suggests that soccer could learn from rugby's approach: penalizing dives with yellow cards and letting play continue for minor fouls. He also calls for a cultural shift led by coaches and captains.
What happens next is uncertain. FIFA has experimented with off-field referees and sin-bins, but adoption is slow. The 2026 World Cup will be a testing ground. If dives continue to influence crucial knockout matches, expect louder calls for rule changes. For now, Menger's neurosurgeon perspective reminds us that the most powerful muscle in a diver's body might be the one between their ears.
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Why Do World Cup Soccer Players Fake Injuries? A Neurosurgeon’s View
World Cup soccer players are elite athletes. Why are they faking injuries? What are the incentives? And how does this compare to sports like rugby and ice hockey?
Richard Menger MD MPA, Contributor
Forbes
3 min read
6/10
Key Takeaways
- A 2023 FIFA study found that diving was attempted in approximately 1 in 4 World Cup matches, with an average of 0.8 simulation events per game during the 2022 tournament.
- Rugby union penalizes simulation with a yellow card and 10-minute sin-bin, whereas soccer typically only issues a yellow card for blatant diving, reducing the deterrent effect.
- Ice hockey players dive far less often because the sport's high scoring (averaging 5-6 goals per game) makes a single power play less decisive compared to soccer's average of 2.5 goals per match.
- The financial incentive for advancing in the 2026 World Cup is enormous: teams earn $9 million for reaching the round of 16, creating a pressure cooker where simulation can be seen as a rational tactic.
- Neuroscientific studies show that the brain's dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which governs impulse control, is less active under high-stakes conditions, explaining why elite players who rarely dive during league play may do so at the World Cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soccer players fake injuries primarily because the sport's low-scoring nature and high-stakes knockout format create strong incentives. A single free kick or penalty from a dive can decide a match, and the probability of being caught is relatively low compared to other sports. Neuroscientists also point to reward conditioning in the brain that reinforces the behavior.
Rugby and ice hockey have significantly less diving because their structures disincentivize it. Rugby penalizes simulation with yellow cards and sin-bins, while the continuous clock makes time-wasting pointless. Ice hockey's high scoring and protective gear reduce the payoff for faking, and the culture strongly condemns embellishment.
VAR has reduced blatant diving but not eliminated it. After review, officials can award yellow cards for simulation. However, players have adapted by using more subtle dives that are harder to detect, and VAR reviews often delay the game, which can itself be a tactical gain for the defending team.
The main incentives include winning free kicks or penalties near the opponent's goal, getting an opponent booked or sent off, and wasting time while leading. Financial rewards for advancing in tournaments like the World Cup also amplify the pressure to gain any competitive edge.
Yes, experts suggest soccer could adopt rugby's strict penalization of diving with immediate yellow cards and sin-bins. Additionally, allowing play to continue for minor fouls (advantage rule) reduces the temptation to exaggerate contact, as players want to keep the ball moving.
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