Neymar said he is going to give everything to win the World Cup next year as Brazil look to vanquish the demons of 2014.
The 2014 World Cup was supposed to be Brazil’s time to shine on home soil, however, the South American giants suffered a demoralising 7-1 semi-final loss to eventual champions Germany.
It was a result that sent shockwaves through Brazil and world football but fast forward to 2017 and Tite’s men now head to the Russia showpiece with renewed belief and loom as one of the teams to beat.
Brazil only lost once during CONMEBOL qualifying to book their ticket to next year’s tournament and Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar insisted confidence is high.
“The respect towards the team now is different to what it was three or four years ago after the World Cup,” Neymar told FIFA.com.
“People see us differently. The Brazil that everyone respects and admires is back; a team that enjoys good football. And that makes us happy. The mood of our fans and our country has changed.
“Everyone’s confident and happy looking ahead to the World Cup. You can’t put a price on that.”
The 2014 World Cup was particularly painful for Neymar, who was forced out of the event with a back injury.
Neymar fractured a vertebra in his spine having taken a knee to the back from Juan Zuniga during Brazil’s 2-1 win over Colombia in the quarter-finals.
“It’s strange because I didn’t finish that World Cup the way I wanted to. Obviously I wanted to crown it with the title, but I neither won nor lost. I didn’t finish the World Cup. My tournament ended with a serious injury and, unfortunately, I had to pay for that,” Neymar added.
“That was a really bad week for me. I cried a lot and asked myself many times why it had happened. But eventually you understand that everything that happens in life makes you stronger, even if it’s not something you want at that particular time. It helps you to learn and prepare yourself better in the future.
“I think this World Cup is going to be huge for Brazilians. Personally, I’m going give everything I’ve got to win it.”
