Pura vida and a personal best for Ticos

It was in September 2013 that Costa Rica finally consigned to history the trauma of missing out on the previous FIFA World Cup™. Eight games into the final round of qualifying for Brazil 2014, Los Ticos had amassed 15 points, sufficient to guarantee them one of CONCACAF’s three automatic berths, and all with two matchdays to spare. A clear case of mission accomplished.

The success was also mirrored on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, where they found themselves in 31st place the following month. Just one year earlier, by contrast, Jorge Luis Pinto’s charges were ranked a distant 72nd. In the intervening 12 months, results had been overwhelmingly positive, as they claimed the 2013 Copa Centroamericana and navigated the region’s World Cup qualifiers with just a solitary defeat. Yet for all that, the best was still to come.

Passion in their veins
The expression pura vida (pure life) has become synonymous with Costa Rica, where it is widely used in greetings and goodbyes, as well as countless other social interactions. The catch-all phrase is a constant reminder of the people’s passion for life and joyful demeanour. Interestingly, it is not just used during good times, but also in difficult moments when positivity and a lift may be required.

It was precisely the latter scenario that Los Ticos found themselves in as the World Cup approached, despite many having predicted plain sailing. The year began badly with friendly defeats to Chile (4-0) and Korea Republic (1-0) then got even worse with a serious injury to Bryan Oviedo. The team’s first choice left-back broke both his tibia and fibula in late January and would eventually miss out on Brazil 2014. Costa Rica’s travails were also reflected in the following month’s FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, where they slipped back to 35th place.

The Central Americans had little choice but to call upon their renowned determination and passion to get back on track. Pinto’s side looked to be doing just that in a trio of pre-World Cup friendlies, beating Paraguay (2-1), losing to Japan (3-1) and drawing with the Republic of Ireland (1-1) – results that moved them up to 28th on June’s global ladder.

With everything set for their Brazilian adventure, Tico fans got the untimely news that Alvaro Saborio, the team’s top scorer in qualifying with eight goals, had fractured a metatarsal in training and would miss the World Cup.

With no time to feel sorry for himself, Pinto shuffled his pack and opted for a 5-4-1 formation in the Group D opener against Uruguay. Junior Diaz patrolled the entire left flank, providing a raft of crosses for Joel Campbell, while on the right, Oscar Duarte linked up well with midfield maestro Bryan Ruiz. Playing with speed and great mobility, Costa Rica downed a strong Uruguay side 3-1 to rack up their first three points.

Against Italy, it was the turn of Yeltsin Tejeda and Celso Borges to dominate the midfield. With Andrea Pirlo neutralised, the Central Americans were able to defend the lead given them by their skipper Ruiz. They then rounded off the first phase with a scoreless draw against England, in the process topping Group D and progressing to the Round of 16 for only the second time in their history.

Greece provided the next opposition and a tense encounter required penalties to separate the sides. A combination of flawless spot-kicking from the Tico players and Keylor Navas’s save took them into the unchartered waters of the last eight.

There was sense of déjà vu against the Netherlands in the quarter-final, when they also defended well and looked to hit their opponents on the break. And although penalties were once again required, this time Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana failed to score and the dream was over.

With their heads held high, Costa Rica bade farewell to Brazil 2014, the bitter taste of elimination sweetened somewhat by the fact they had made history. It was the culmination of a long journey paved with wonderful triumphs, difficult moments and, above all, pura vida.

As for the numbers game, all those highs and lows produced a happy ending in the form of 16th place on the most recent FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Now they can look to the future, and Russia 2018, with optimism thanks to a generation of young players who have shown their capacity to rewrite the record books and make history.

FIFA Fan Fest Wins Brazilian Hearts

From the special kick-off event on Fortaleza’s Iracema Beach which set the tone for the tournament, through to the post-final fireworks that illuminated the sky above the famous Maracana stadium, the FIFA Fan Fests have been at the heart of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.

Incredibly, more than five million people celebrated the tournament at the 12 FIFA Fan Fest locations, proving this remarkable event has been about so much more than just the football.

Come final day, the extraordinary aerial views of the FIFA Fan Fest on the Copacabana Beach paid testament to the vast swathes of fans, coming together to share the World Cup experience with as many friends as possible.

In total, 281,716 people attended the FIFA Fan Fest venues to watch Germany take on Argentina, pushing the grand total for the tournament to over five million visitors!

A perfect solution for fans looking to experience the magic of a World Cup together in a live setting, the FIFA Fan Fest concept has exploded in popularity since being introduced at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™.

Across the dozen carefully selected iconic Brazilian locations, FIFA Fan Fest arenas have become throbbing hubs of football, music and entertainment – this past month, ensuring secure and family-friendly ‘must-go’ destinations for local and international fans alike.

In Brazil, an array of special performances by some of the country’s top music acts such as Claudia Leitte, Anita and Monobloco, together with VIP appearances by the likes of FIFA Fan Fest Ambassador Ronaldo, made sure every one of the 64 matches partied after the full time whistle.

In between matches and live music, revellers enjoyed a selection of international food and drinks, and were keen to get involved in the activities offered onsite by FIFA’s Commercial Affiliates - as well as participate in a little recreational shopping via a wide range of onsite merchandise.

Already something of a cultural phenomenon in their relatively short history, the FIFA Fan Fest™ in Brazil will go down in history as the month-long beach party to end them all!

Exclusive - Collymore: Naming Messi Best Player Is 'An Absolute Disgrace'

Stan Collymore has labelled FIFA's decision to name Argentina's Lionel Messi the World Cup's best player 'an absolute disgrace'.

Germany beat La Albiceleste 1-0 in extra-time in the World Cup final as the Barcelona star struggled to inspire his nation and there was widespread surprise when the 27-year-old picked up the Golden Ball after the match.

Messi scored four goals in Brazil over the course of the tournament but Collymore was adamant there were others who deserved the award ahead of the Argentine.

"His performance was poor tonight," he told talkSPORT. "We've seen him three or four times now in the flesh and he's been poor in all of them, bar several trademark runs which I think masks a lot.

"It's an absolute disgrace giving him the Golden Ball tonight. You look at players like James Rodriguez, even players like Chile's Alexis Sanchez and Manuel Neuer [they deserve it more].

"He wasn't even the best player in the Argentina side tonight or over the tournament, [Javier] Mascherano gets that vote for me."

Gotze: Somehow The Ball Went In The Net

After the final whistle sounded in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday evening, Germany’s players gave free rein to their emotions. Bastian Schweinsteiger cried uncontrollably, Manuel Neuer draped himself in a black, red and gold flag and Miroslav Klose could not stop smiling.

Germany Holds The Cup, Rules The World In World Cup 2014 World Cup Finals

Germany dashed Argentina’s hopes of winning the World Cup for a third time after they beat the South Americans 1-0 in the final of Brazil 2014 at the iconic Maracana Stadium on Sunday.

Both countries had earlier met in the World Cup final — Mexico 1986, Italia ’90 — with the Diego Maradona-led Argentina beating the Germans 3-2 in Mexico while Germany won in 1-0 in Italy — with Maradona on the losing side.

An extra time goal scored by Mario Goetze was all the Germans needed to win their fourth World Cup title at the expense of Argentina.

The victory ensured Barcelona’s superstar Lionel Messi will wait for another four years to join football greats who have won the World Cup.

Sunday’s encounter made it the third time in a row the World Cup final went into extra time.

Spain won in extra time at South Africa 2010, and Italy won via penalty shootout after extra time at Germany 2006.

It was the eighth game to go into extra time at Brazil 2014 and it was the first time ever Argentina would concede a goal in the extra time at the World Cup.

Argentina had beaten the Germans in the 1986 final in Mexico but since then Germany had dominated the encounters between the two sides.

A Tony Kroos blunder in the 20th minute almost gifted the Argentines their first goal when Gonzalo Higuain intercepted a back pass header, but fired wide.

Higuain’s goal in the 31st minute was disallowed when the linesman ruled his move to be offside.

Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero pulled a save in the 37th minute and two minutes later Messi made a fine run into the German goal area but the Europeans’ defence muscled him out of play.

The finest chance of the half fell to Germany but Benedikt Howedes header only made it as far as the upright.

The second half resumed with more drama as both side scuttled many chances that could have put anyone of them ahead.

Messi missed an early second-half chance, breaking free on the left side and shooting toward the far post. The ball rolled wide of the Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and his net. Messi again shot wide in the 75th.

Germany had a chance in the 71st, with the ball bouncing between players in front of goal, but Andre Schuerrle could not get control.

Joachim Leow must have sensed the game would head into extra time when he introduced Mario Goetze to replace Miroslav Klose in the 88th minute.

Goetze did not disappoint as he made important contributions immediately he came in. His energetic display paid off in the 113th minute when he brilliantly controlled Schurrle’s cross with his chest and then hit it past Sergio Romero to get the only goal of the game.

Messi had the opportunity to send the encounter into penalties in the dying minutes but his free-kick went wide.

Why Germany won’t underestimate Argentina: Four Big World Cup Final Upsets

With this Sunday’s World Cup final fast approaching, the narrative from many observers is one that claims Germany should walk away with the game. The 7-1 German obliteration of Brazil, coupled by Argentina’s inconsistency and the Albiceleste’s additional energy expelled in extra time against Holland means many claim the European side will waltz to victory. Joachim Low won’t think that however. The Germany coach will be more than aware the World Cup has a habit of throwing up upsets in the final. talkSPORT looks at four of the big ones…

Uruguay 2-1 Brazil (1950 World Cup)
The upset so big it has its own name, the Maracanazo is etched in the memory of any Uruguayan or Brazilian football fan for very different reasons. Though not technically a final (the tournament was decided on a round robin basis that year) the game did prove decisive in the destination of the trophy, and it literally couldn’t have been a bigger occasion, with the estimated 200,000 capacity crowd at the Maracana said to be the biggest ever assembled for a football game.

As reigning South American champions Brazil were favourites, while Uruguay’s victory at the first World Cup was 20 years in the past. Several Brazilian newspapers arrogantly proclaimed the host-nation champions on the morning of the game, but Uruguay had different ideas. After going a goal down, they went all-out attack, and 21 minutes into the second half, Juan Alberto Schiaffino fired home an equaliser. The ropey Brazilian defence couldn’t cope with the onslaught, and 34 minutes into the second half, Uruguay struck the fatal blow, with Alcides Edgardo Ghiggia scoring the winner. Brazil took the defeat so badly they never wore a white kit again, while the members of the team were constantly reminded of the loss throughout the rest of their lives.

Van Gaal Hopes United Can Follow Dutch Way

Louis van Gaal is hoping he can replicate the team spirit that took the Netherlands to third place at the FIFA World Cup when he arrives at Manchester United. The Dutchman will take over as manager at Old Trafford with the challenge of getting the fallen champions back on track after a difficult last season under David Moyes.

The 62-year-old should command the immediate respect of the United dressing room thanks to the Netherlands' excellent showing in Brazil, due in large part to the team spirit that he forged. His decision to hand goalkeeper Michel Vorm a late appearance as a substitute in Saturday's 3-0 third-place play-off win against Brazil in Brasilia means all 23 members of the Dutch squad played some part at the tournament.

"There will always be a place in my heart for these 23 players," said van Gaal, who will be replaced as Dutch coach by the returning Guus Hiddink. "My players were great. I hope that the group in Manchester will become like this one because we have to read from the same hymn sheet. I hope I can get them to do that there."

Holland went unbeaten through qualifying and go home from Brazil undefeated too, with their semi-final exit against Argentina only coming after a penalty shoot-out, but van Gaal warned United supporters that they will inevitably find themselves on the losing side from time to time.

"I couldn't do it with Ajax, Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Losing is part of sport," he said. "I just hope that at Manchester United I can do my best. Whether that's enough for the fans, we'll have to wait and see, but I genuinely hope that will be the case."

My players were great. I hope that the group in Manchester will become like this one

Van Gaal said he was "proud" of the way the Netherlands performed in Brazil, despite seeing them fall just short at a World Cup once again. "We scored 15 goals in seven matches and conceded four, two of which came from penalties.

“I think we can look back on a successful tournament and I am proud of my players and staff," said van Gaal, whose team opened their campaign with a stunning 5-1 defeat of holders Spain. He leaves the squad in good hands as they turn their attentions towards the next European Championship in France in 2016 with Hiddink at the helm.

Van Gaal went against the Dutch tradition of playing a 4-3-3 formation and used a 3-5-2 system in Brazil, which made them so strong defensively that they conceded just one goal in their last five matches. Now he hopes his success will "open eyes" at home and make people realise that there are other ways to win matches.

"My dream was to become a world champion and we could have done it. This was my last match and we finish it with a medal, but it was also important to display a new style of football. I heard the new coach say he wants to play the Dutch way, but I have always played the Dutch way.

"Maybe this will open everyone's eyes in the Netherlands and make them realise there is not just one system that can give people happiness. I prefer to use the qualities of the squad, and it worked. We were not champions, but we were very close." 

Julio Cesar Accepts Brazil Career Is Over

Goalkeeper Julio Cesar accepted on Saturday that his international career is finished after Brazil's FIFA World Cup campaign ended in disappointment. "This is probably my last World Cup," he said after his country's 3-0 defeat against the Netherlands in the third-place play-off in Brasilia.

"To play at the Copa America in 2015, at the age of 35, would be quite complicated. To go there without having the 2018 World Cup in mind would be selfish on my part."

Having been blamed for Brazil's 2-1 defeat by the same opponents that saw them exit the 2010 World Cup at the quarter-final stage, the former Inter Milan goalkeeper returned to the fold last year, when Luiz Felipe Scolari recalled him after taking charge of the national team.

Now at Toronto FC in Canada, he was hailed as a hero after Brazil beat Chile on penalties in the last 16 two weeks ago. But he could do little to help his side in last Tuesday's 7-1 semi-final hammering at the hands of Germany.

"It is a sad moment for Brazilian football," he said, after winning his 86th cap. "Now I think it is time to relax and try to forget about all of this. The time has come for other goalkeepers and I think Brazil has seven or eight who are quite capable of pulling on the national jersey."

A Fresh Start, And Some Consolation, For Brazil

In his second spell as coach of Brazil, Luiz Felipe Scolari has amassed a record of 19 wins, six draws and three defeats, with 70 goals scored and just 26 conceded. Since winning the FIFA Confederations Cup last year, his team have suffered just one defeat in 10 games. Unfortunately, that turned out to be as costly as it was painful: the harrowing 7-1 loss against Germany last Tuesday. The result ended a 64 year dream of winning the World Cup on home soil.

Having had just four days to recover from the defeat, Brazil now take on the Netherlands in Brasilia in the Play-Off for Third Place. While coming third is important, the team will have another source of motivation when they take the field. It is a chance for Scolari and his players to validate the work they have invested in a campaign in which the team achieved a winning percentage of 75%, yet still finished two steps away from their goal.

"Now we have to focus on the goal of coming third," said Scolari at a press conference. "We know that even a win won’t take away the disappointment, but we have to have objectives. We couldn’t achieve our aim of reaching the final, so now we have to play for a smaller dream.”

Historical precedents
This will be Brazil’s fourth appearance in the Third Place Play-Off. Interestingly, there are similarities between the current campaign and those of 1938, 1974 and 1978, the other years when Brazil played in the podium decider - with the crucial difference that the team was not the host nation on those occasions.

The 1938 FIFA World Cup was when Brazil first announced itself to the world as a major footballing power. After overcoming Poland and Czechoslovakia in the knockout stages, the team was eventually defeated 2-1 by eventual champions Italy in the semi-final. Interestingly, Brazil’s best player, Leonidas da Silva, was ruled out of that match due to injury problems, just like Neymar this year. Unlike the young striker, however, the Black Diamond recovered in time to play in his team’s last match, and scored two goals in a 4-2 win over Sweden. He eventually finished the tournament as top goalscorer with seven goals.

By the time the 1974 World Cup in Germany came around, the structure of the tournament had changed. The semi-final stage consisted of two groups of four teams, with Brazil facing Argentina, East Germany and the Netherlands. In the last match of the group, the reigning world champions were beaten by the fast-emerging “Clockwork Orange,” as the Dutch team was known. Although the 2-0 scoreline was far less impressive than what the Germans were able to achieve 40 years later, the result left the Brazilians equally stunned, coming just days after coach Mario Zagallo had guaranteed his team would win. In their final game in the tournament, Brazil lost again, this time 1-0 to Poland.

This same tournament structure was used at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. In the second phase Brazil were placed in a group with the host nation, Poland and Peru. Despite remaining unbeaten, Brazil were eliminated and had to watch as Argentina advanced to the final. The similarity between that year and the current campaign was the consistency of the team’s results, with coach Claudio Coutinho announcing he was pleased with his work even if the title had eluded his team. In the battle for third place, Brazil managed to overcome their disappointment by beating Italy 2-1, with a memorable goal from full-back Nelinho.

Starting Over
Three Third Place Play-Offs then, and two symbolic bronze medals for Brazil. Now it is the turn of Scolari's team to try to say farewell with dignity, in front of fans who never turned their backs on their team, even during its darkest moments.

“We didn’t expect such a catastrophic defeat, in terms of the number of goals we conceded. But don’t forget that this is the first time the team has reached the World Cup semi-final since 2002," recalls the coach. "It was a bad defeat, six minutes of total meltdown. If I knew how it happened I’d tell you, but I don’t.”

Scolari knows that many of the current group have a long future ahead with A Seleção. Now it is time to get back on track against the Netherlands. "Life goes on. It isn’t just about the defeats," concluded Scolari. "These players will continue to give everything for Brazil. At least 70 per cent of them will be back in 2018, with a different mind-set.”

Pride And Pain For Robben And Sneijder

"That's football. It's painful."

These words, uttered by Wesley Sneijder in the wake of the Netherlands' defeat to Argentina, summed up Oranje emotions. For the nation that invented 'Total Football', the beautiful game was no longer so attractive.

"It is extremely difficult to take," Sneijder added in an interview with FIFA. "We were so close. We fought for it so hard. And I think we deserved a bit more."

As it was, having triumphed on penalties in the quarter-finals, it was by this same cruel and dramatic method that Dutch dreams died. Sneijder, having dispatched his spot kick with aplomb against Costa Rica, was one of the players thwarted by Sergio Romero in Brasilia as Argentina advanced to the final. And while brave enough to face the microphones and cameras afterwards, there was no disguising the midfielder's desolation.

"It does hurt [to lose this way], especially if you are one of the players to miss," he said of the shoot-out. " I think there was only one team that wanted penalties and that was them [Argentina]. And yes, they won, so well done to them. It's all about taking responsibility in those situations, and sometimes [in shoot-outs] things can go wrong. But of course I am sad."

Throughout the tournament, no-one in the Netherlands side - arguably no-one in any side - has accepted responsibility as readily as Arjen Robben. And while this irrepressible winger again successfully converted in the shoot-out, his disappointment was no less pronounced than Sneijder's.

"It's still difficult," he told FIFA. "You're a football player and when you're defeated it really hurts, especially when you've been so close to reaching the final. We were at 0-0, we hardly gave them any chances, and then it came down to penalties again.

"You could see that we were much fitter than Argentina [towards the end of the match], but they are such a good team. They were better [in the shoot-out] and that's really painful. But it's all part of the game and you can't blame anyone, even the boys who took the penalties. We did it all together. We won together and now we must lose together. But I am so proud of this squad, truly."

This sense of pride offered a powerful antidote to the overwhelming sadness that engulfed the Netherlands camp. Written off by many pundits, and widely tipped to fall at the first hurdle, Louis van Gaal's young side have confounded their doubters with a series of mature and impressive performances at this World Cup. And though the unfolding fairy tale did not in the end have a happy ending, the future - which begins with a Play-off for Third Place against Brazil on Saturday - offers Robben plenty of cause for encouragement.

"Now it is [painful] for us all," he said. "Disappointment dominates me too. But I think we should turn that around quickly. We all gave everything we had at this tournament - everything. We can be unbelievably proud of what we all achieved together, and I mean that."

Neymar Cheers On Messi As Argentina, Germany Prepare

Crocked Brazilian star Neymar declared on Thursday he wants Lionel Messi to lead fierce rivals Argentina to victory over Germany as the countdown to the FIFA World Cup Final™ began.

Neymar, who missed Brazil's 7-1 humiliation against Germany through injury, told a press conference he wanted Messi and Argentina to win the title.

"Messi's history in the sport is so important, he has won a lot of trophies and I will be cheering for him," said Neymar, a team-mate of Messi's at Barcelona. "He is a friend, he is my team-mate and I wish him luck."

Messi's history in the sport is so important, he has won a lot of trophies and I will be cheering for him.
Neymar on Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi

Neymar's support of Messi, and by extension Argentina, is unlikely to be shared by many of his compatriots. The South American nations are sworn footballing enemies, and Argentina's advance to the final rubbed salt into Brazilian wounds still fresh from Tuesday's record defeat to Germany.

"The nightmare continues," O Dia newspaper commented glumly after Argentina booked their place in the final by beating the Netherlands on Wednesday. As many as 100,000 Argentine fans are expected to descend on Rio for the final, the climax of a month-long footballing fiesta.

Germany plan Messi tactics
Germany meanwhile said they had quickly wiped away the euphoria felt from their thrashing of Brazil. Germany's veteran striker Miroslav Klose, who became the World Cup's all-time leading scorer with the second goal against Brazil, said his team had quickly forgotten the momentous win.

"We enjoyed the game against Brazil, but we ticked it off after 24 hours," Klose said. "In the next game, we have to again play to the best of our abilities."

Germany assistant coach Hansi Flick said his team had studied the way the Netherlands managed to successfully contain Messi. "We saw how the Dutch managed to keep Messi out, but we too have a special plan for him - although I won't give that away," said Flick.

Argentina's players began plotting Germany's downfall as they returned to Belo Horizonte. Striker Sergio Aguero said his team-mates were comfortable in the marginal underdog role, insisting all the pressure would be on Germany.

"Germany were always the favourites, along with Brazil, to win the World Cup," he said. "They continue to be so now. We need to play our own game and it suits us that all the pressure is on them." 

Appeals Of Suarez And The Uruguayan FA Rejected, Sanctions Upheld

The FIFA Appeal Committee has decided to reject the appeals lodged by both the Uruguayan player Luis Suarez and the Uruguayan FA, and to confirm the decision rendered by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 25 June 2014 in its entirety.

Pique: I Would Love To Give Something Back

FIFA.com sat down with Spain defender Gerard Pique to find out more about his motivations and aspirations in taking up the role of Ambassador for FIFA’s Football for Hope initiative, which was launched in 2005 to help improve the lives and prospects of young people around the world through football.

Neymar To join Brazil For Third Place Play-Off

Brazil’s injured striker Neymar will attend Saturday’s third place play-off when the battered World Cup hosts take on the Netherlands.

Brazil were consigned to the ignominy of fighting out a game Dutch coach Louis van Gaal has attacked as “unfair” after their 7-1 semi-final mauling by Germany.

Fifa Bans Nigeria From Any Football Activities

The world football governing body FIFA has banned Nigeria from participating in all international competition following the sack of the Aminu Maigari-led NFF after exiting the world cup in the second round.

This means that Nigeria will be excluded from all international meetings and matches while the suspension takes effect immediately.

Global Stars React To Mineirazo (7-1) Defeat

Global reaction to Germany's record-breaking 7-1 rout of Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ semi-finals on Tuesday has been widespread. Here are just some of the comments from the football world.

Brazil 1-7 Germany: Hosts' World Cup Party Ends In Humiliation

Germany didn’t just end Brazil’s World Cup dream. They destroyed it in a ruthless first half display of pace and precision.

It was a humiliation of epic proportions – the heaviest ever defeat in a World Cup semi-final - and one a nation of 200 million fervent fans could not believe they were witnessing as the greatest party on earth was brought to a staggeringly abrupt climax.

Van Gaal: Van Persie A Doubt

Captain Robin van Persie may miss the Netherlands' 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ semi-final against Argentina as he is struggling with an upset stomach. Van Persie has been instrumental in the Netherland's run to the last four of the tournament, but he had to train separately from his team-mates on Tuesday after complaining of a stomach problem.

‘I Can’t Feel My Legs’ - Neymar Cried After The Challenge

Brazil’s star striker Neymar cried “I can’t feel my legs” after a crunch World Cup challenge by Colombia’s Juan Zuniga, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari told Spanish sports daily Marca.

Scolari said the whole team panicked after the knee in the back tackle during Brazil’s quarter-final victory over Colombia on Friday.

For Our Sake, God, Let Brazil Win! - Neymar

Brazil’s poster boy, Neymar, is out of the World Cup. The World Cup would not be the same again. And so, victory nearly turned to defeat. Agony. Pain. Many Brazilians cry as the news hit them.

None Brazilians joined in the pain of the nation. Yes, Neymar electrifies the World Cup for the hosts and brings so much joy that is shared to none Brazilians. The World Cup party starts from the numerous open festivals where thousands throng to watch Brazilian matches.