Brazil players ignoring Neymar's desperate plea vs Croatia is why they were eliminated
Brazil's elimination came as a huge shock.
Featured Image Credit: Twitter
Topics: Neymar, Brazil, Croatia, Football World Cup
Daniel Marland
Topics: Neymar, Brazil, Croatia, Football World Cup
Neymar attempted to relay an important message to his Brazil teammates moments before Croatia equalised in their World Cup quarter-final - they should've listened to him.
Brazil were favourites to win the competition for a record sixth time heading into Friday evening, with Croatia seen as an easy opponent to overcome. It couldn't be further from the truth.
Zlatko Dalic's side emerged victors from a dramatic penalty shootout at the Education City Stadium to reach their second successive World Cup semi-final.
Croatia have only been in the lead in games for 46 minutes out in Qatar. Their collective grit is unmatched.
Advert
It's something Neymar, who gave Brazil the lead in extra-time after finishing off a sublime team move, clearly knew.
Footage of the Paris Saint-Germain superstar deep into the second half of extra time has emerged online.
The 30-year-old can be seen gesturing to his fellow forwards to get further back down the pitch.
Per Brazilian reporter Marcio Spimpolo, Neymar's words were: "There's no need for you to go up. It's 1-0 and there are 5 minutes to go."
A sensible tactic. Defend the 1-0 lead in a game that was a fascinating tactical battle but lacked quality chances.
We all know what happened next. Bruno Petkovic, with three minutes to go, saw his effort deflect past Alisson and into the back of the net.
The tie went to penalties, which Brazil lost after Rodrygo's penalty was saved by Dominik Livakovic and Marquinhos rattled the post.
Fans online have reacted to the video, believing Neymar was 'failed' by his fellow countrymen.
One person said: "I feel for him. He knew what they needed to do to win."
Another put: "People will blame Neymar for the elimination but it wasn't his fault, this proves it."
Someone tweeted: "He plays with too many unserious players."
While a fourth added: "His blood must've been boiling seconds later."
Brazil manager Tite stepped down shortly after the full-time whistle following six years in charge. Neymar refused to confirm if this would be his last World Cup as a player.
He told reporters: "Honestly, I do not know. I think talking now is bad because of the heat of the moment. Maybe I'm not thinking straight," an emotional Neymar told reporters.
"To say that this is the end would be rushing myself, but I don't guarantee anything either. Let's see what happens going forward."
Croatia will face Argentina in the first semi-final on Tuesday.