Neymar backs Argentina to win WC; says he doesn't hate Zuniga

An emotional Neymar cried as he recalled the challenge that ended his World Cup on Thursday and said he felt blessed not to have ended up in a wheelchair.

Colombia defender Juan Zuniga kneed the Brazil forward in the back in the closing stages of the hosts’ 2-1 quarter-final victory, ruling him out of the tournament before the team’s traumatic 7-1 semi-final defeat by Germany.

“I won’t say he came to injure me, I don’t what was going on in his head but everyone who understands football can see that it wasn’t a normal challenge,” Neymar told reporters at Brazil’s base camp just outside Rio de Janeiro.

“When you want to foul someone to stop a game or stop a counter-attack, you kick their ankles, you push, you pull, but the way the ball was falling, it wasn’t a normal game situation.

Neymar also said that 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. He is a friend, he is my team-mate and I wish him luck.”

“Many of you say I am a diver and I don’t care that you say that. I can defend myself when I can see what’s going on around me,” he added

“But I can’t defend myself from what comes from behind. What defends me in that situation is the rules and I couldn’t defend myself from that and I was injured.

“God blessed me,” Neymar said, breaking down in tears. “If it had been another two centimetres I could be in a wheelchair today.”

Neymar said Zuniga called him the next day to apologise but he stopped short of forgiving his rival for the challenge.

“I don’t hate him, I don’t hold a grudge,” Neymar said. “But I don’t feel anything.”

Brazil will play the Netherlands in Saturday’s third-place playoff and Germany face Argentina in the final on Sunday.

Reuters