Brazil kicked off their 2022 World Cup knockout stage campaign with a Round of 16 clashes against South Korea in Doha.
Brazilian striker Neymar and the Brazil players sent their best wishes to football legend Pele after the match. Pele is currently in hospital recovering from a respiratory infection and continues to be treated for colon cancer (three-time World Cup winner for Brazil).
“It’s tough to talk about Pele with what he is going through,” Neymar told reporters. “We wish he can get well soon. We hope we made him feel a bit more comfortable with the banner and with the victory.”
Neymar’s first-half penalty means he now has 76 international goals, one shy of Pele’s Brazil scoring record.
▶ Neymar reveals injury fear after goal
“I didn’t feel any pain in my ankle,” he said. “I want to thank the medical staff and the physiotherapists for helping me to be fit for this match.”
However, Neymar worried about his tournament after sustaining the injury against Serbia.
“I was thinking of a million different things,” he said. “I was afraid of not being able to play in this World Cup again, but I have the support of all of my colleagues and my family, and I tried to look for strength where I could not find it. When I was reading all the messages of encouragement, it helped my recovery.”
▶ Why did Neymar dye his hair blonde?
Before the game against South Korea, Neymar specially invited his barber to Qatar. Neymar initially decided to dye his hair blonde, amid rumors that he was imitating teammate Richarlison…
Anyway, there’s another rumor: he scored twice in a friendly against South Korea earlier this year (also dyed blond), so there’s talk of it being a superstition.
