The injured Brazil star has given an emotional address to the nation’s supporters following the news that his World Cup is over.
Neymar has told Brazil fans that the national team will still win the World Cup despite his injury-enforced absence.
The iconic star was stretchered off in the final moments of the Selecao’s 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia on Friday night and has been diagnosed with a broken vertebrae, which will keep him out for four to six weeks.
But while the entire country comes to terms with his absence from the semi-final against Germany on Tuesday, the player has sent a teary-eyed video message in which he insists Brazil can still go on to win the World Cup.
“Brazilian people, players, staff, fans. This is a hard moment, and I don’t have the words to define what’s going through my head and my heart,” Neymar told the fans via CBF TV.
“I just want to be back as fast as possible, when everyone least expects. I want to say thank you for the support, the love that everyone has shown for me, for all the messages.
He continued: “I’d like to tell you all that my dream is not over. It was interrupted, but it goes on. My dream is to be champion.
“My dream was also to play in a World Cup final. But it won’t happen this time. I’m sure that they [Brazil] will win and be champions. And I’ll be there, with them.
“And us, Brazilians, will all be celebrating this.”
Luis Felipe Scolari’s men face Germany in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday for a place in the final, with kick-off at 22:00CET.
