Vinicius Junior sent "a strong hug" to Pele and says Brazil can keep "dancing until the final" after helping the Selecao beat South Korea 4-1 to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.

Three-time World Cup winner Pele has been receiving treatment in Sao Paulo, though his family have denied reports that he is receiving palliative care.

On social media, the Selecao legend confirmed he would be watching Brazil's knockout clash with South Korea and will have enjoyed the performance as Vinicius opened the scoring before a Neymar penalty put him one short of Pele's all-time scoring record for his nation.

Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta rounded off the scoring to give Brazil a four-goal advantage at the break, with Paik Seung-ho's effort in the second half merely being a consolation.

Asked what message the victory sends, Vinicius told Globo Esporte: "That we can keep dancing until the final.

"And send a strong hug to Pele, who is in need of strength. This victory goes to him, so that he can get out of this situation.

"[It says that] we can be champion for him."

Brazil's performance against Croatia was their stand-out display of the competition so far, having shown flashes of their brilliance during the group stages, and Vinicius feels there is more to come.

"As time went by, we were growing up in the competition. Every game that passes we are more confident and intertwined," he added.

"Today we play against a team that gives space, and when it gives space to us it is very complicated for the opponent. We have a lot of moves and personality to make a great game."

Brazil will clash with Croatia in the quarter-final, who defeated Japan on penalties earlier on Monday after a 1-1 draw.

Paulo Bento confirmed he will not renew his contract with South Korea after their World Cup exit by defeat to Brazil on Monday.

Vinicius Junior, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta were all on target as the pre-tournament favourites raced into a four-goal lead inside 36 minutes at Stadium 974.

A long-range Paik Seung-ho strike in the second half proved a mere consolation for South Korea, whose journey in Qatar came to an abrupt end.

Bento, appointed in 2018 as Shin Tae-yong's successor, confirmed the Brazil defeat will be his last with the Taegeuk Warriors, after agreeing to stay in charge until the end of their World Cup campaign.

"From now, we just have to think of the future, and it will not be with the national team for South Korea," he said. "I rest, and then I see what happens after.

"I just announced to the players and president of the confederation this decision I made in September. This was a decision set in stone, and today I confirmed it.

"I have to thank them for everything, they gave their best. I have been proud to be their manager."

South Korea were appearing in their first knockout-stage game in the competition since 2010, though failed to deliver against Tite's host of global stars.

They will still head home with great memories in the Middle East after snatching an unlikely Group H qualification with Hwang Hee-chan's injury-time strike against Portugal edging out Uruguay for second place.

"At this time, it is not easy to give a summary of everything in the World Cup, and especially due to it not ending yet," Bento added.

"I can only tell you about our participation, which ended today, I believe it ended in a fair manner. We have to congratulate Brazil because they are better than us.

"Our strategy was to control the match and not let the game run at a high pace, but because of what we had available in terms of preparation, we weren't able to do that and that made it difficult.

"What we did do in the World Cup was something to make us very proud - as well as all the process to get here for the last four years - I believe what we've done in the group stage was very good. 

"For the third time in the history of [South] Korean football, we got to the round of 16. I believe in the group stage, we could have managed more points because against Ghana, we should've and could've won.

"That would've been well-deserved, but our participation makes us proud and makes me satisfied."

Neymar was named in Brazil's starting XI for Monday's World Cup last-16 clash with South Korea after recovering from an ankle injury.

Brazil's talisman was hurt in their victory over Serbia on matchday one and sat out the Selecao's subsequent two group games.

There remained significant doubt regarding the timeline of his return, with Brazil coach Tite saying in Sunday's pre-match press conference it was still uncertain if Neymar would feature against the Taeguk Warriors.

But he was included in the starting XI at Stadium 974 as Brazil looked to plot their way into the last eight of the tournament in a fierce attack alongside Raphinha, Vinicius Jr, Raphinha and Richarlison.

Neymar heads into the game just two goals adrift of Pele (77) in the all-time list for most Brazil goals.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward's efforts to usurp his fellow Santos great has taken on even greater significance in the past week following reports of Pele's worsening health.

Claims in Brazilian media last week suggested Pele was now under palliative care in hospital after his body stopped responding to cancer treatment, although a statement from the 82-year-old on Sunday said he was "strong" and had "a lot of hope".

Having shuffled their pack for the surprise defeat against Cameroon, Tite has named a more familiar XI against South Korea with a total of 10 changes from that loss - Eder Militao being the only player to retain his spot.

Brazil's World Cup last-16 clash with South Korea on Monday promises to be an emotional occasion for all associated with the Selecao.

The game comes after reports emerged on Saturday indicating legendary former striker Pele is now receiving palliative care in hospital after his body stopped responding to cancer treatment.

Pele helped Brazil to three World Cup successes and is revered by many as the greatest to ever play the sport.

The 82-year-old, whose condition is stable, remains an iconic figure for Brazilian football, and the team will undoubtedly have him at the front of their minds as they take on South Korea at Stadium 974 on Monday.

Current talisman Neymar will presumably be even more desperate to feature in the match, with tributes to Pele expected from both players and fans.

The Paris Saint-Germain star injured his ankle on matchday one and sat out the rest of the group phase, with Brazil managing to top their section despite defeat to Cameroon on Friday.

Brazil have always been hopeful Neymar will be able to feature in the knockouts, and Tite confirmed on Sunday that the 30-year-old will play as long as he comes through a final training session.

Captain Thiago Silva previously suggested Neymar had a good chance of featuring against Korea.

"It depends a lot on training," he said. "It seems that there will be a test a little more on the field, I don't know if he will put on his boots.

"Only from then on can we pass on something more concrete to you, but until then I cannot pass on ahead of the doctor on this situation.

"[The injury] must be tested, to see how the ankle is, if it will hold up or not, if it will be in a little pain. He will have pain, that's part of it, I've had this type of injury.

"However, if everything goes well as planned, the hope is that he will be available. But I leave that to Tite and the doctor."

Brazil are going to be without Gabriel Jesus and Alex Telles, both of whom have been ruled out for the rest of the tournament.

Nevertheless, they will be firm favourites having progressed from each of their previous seven last-16 matches at the World Cup, last getting eliminated at this stage in 1990 against Argentina.

Similarly, South Korea have not played a knockout game at the tournament since 2010, and their only win (excluding penalties) after the group stages came as co-hosts in 2002 when they beat Italy in the round of 16.

But coach Tite insists Brazil – who beat South Korea 5-1 in June – will not be complacent.

He said: "Brazil lost to Cameroon; Portugal lost to South Korea; France lost to Tunisia; Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia. I think the results speak for themselves.

"I think these are very strong, very tough matches. I don't think we can think any prior situation makes it easy.

"We need to be very careful. We were very careful with the match against Cameroon. We were. We can't say it's easier and we have an advantage. We can't say that."

By the same token, Hwang Hee-chan – scorer of South Korea's decisive goal in the dramatic 2-1 win over Portugal that took them through at the expense of Uruguay – is adamant the Taeguk Warriors are not in the last 16 just to make up the numbers.

"Just because we play Brazil, it won't mean we will be just happy to be there in the knockouts," he said. "Our objective is to win and give our people something to cheer about. We're not just happy to be here. We want to play well and win for our fans."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

South Korea – Kim Jin-su

One of South Korea's main attacking routes in this tournament has been down the left flank, with Kim Jin-su's quality deliveries a real feature.

Only three defenders have recorded more open-play crosses than his 14, while Joao Cancelo (six) is the sole full-back to complete more of them than Kim (five). Cho Gue-sung has proven an aerial threat already in Qatar, and they will need to exploit every strength possible against the Selecao.

Brazil – Raphinha

With Kim one of South Korea's biggest dangers, Raphinha will want to be firing on all cylinders to keep the left-back occupied and as deep as possible.

But on top of that, Brazil's injury issues could result in a somewhat makeshift backline. It would seem either the 39-year-old Dani Alves or centre-back Eder Militao will start at right-back, and they will be keen for some support, particularly as Son Heung-min also operates from the left as he did initially against Portugal.

PREDICTION

Brazil are, as expected, massive favourites for this. Stats Perform's AI model gives them a 76.2 per cent chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.

South Korea on the other hand, their rating is just 8.2 per cent. But then again, who had them even getting this far before matchday three?

South Korea coach Paulo Bento hopes Neymar is fit to play his team in their World Cup last-16 clash with Brazil, even if he concedes it would better for them if he was absent.

The Taeguk Warriors caused something of a shock by reaching the first knockout round of the tournament at the expense of Uruguay, with South Korea scoring a dramatic winner against Portugal on matchday three.

Brazil await in the last 16 and there remains some doubt over the fitness of talisman Neymar, who injured his ankle in the Selecao's first match of the tournament.

Neymar's involvement will be determined in training on Sunday, and Bento hopes he is ultimately passed fit.

"It would be hypocritical if I said that it's better to play against Neymar than without him, but to be fair, I always prefer the best players to be on the field. If not, we hope it's not because of injury, that's for sure," he said.

"It will be up to the coach, Tite, to decide whether he's in the starting line-up if he's fit to play, and we'll design the best strategy to play against a great national team that is full of balance and adding more and more talented players."

Nevertheless, Bento clearly feels South Korea's chances of causing an upset have not been helped by FIFA.

The Portuguese coach vented his frustration at the governing body scheduling games just 72 hours apart, particularly given the emotional exhaustion from their turnaround against Portugal.

"Unfortunately, we don't have much time to train, because 72 hours is too little, I doubt any team can do that," he added.

"After physical tiredness, and the emotional fatigue, we let the players rest [on Saturday] and only trained this morning, and of course that's a burden for the team.

"We have an additional burden compared to Brazil because they changed their line-up in the last game.

"They did something we couldn't do in the last game and honestly speaking, I was watching the 2018 World Cup and after the group stage, I do not remember seeing games played after 72 hours. The spaces between games was longer.

"In my opinion it's not fair to play every 72 hours, it's something inhuman, it's something FIFA intends to create less conditions for those who already have less conditions, but we need to accept it if it's FIFA's decision.

"It's difficult to play very a great team such as Brazil, who in my opinion they are the favourites, and if we add this burden, our task will be very difficult."

But as irritated as Bento was by FIFA's decisions, he certainly is not worried about motivation.

"I'm a realist. I conveyed we have a tough task ahead of us, but we have to try," he said. "If they needed me to motivate them for a last-16 game at the World Cup, they'd be in a bad spot.

"What they showed already shows they are motivated. I get more motivation from them than they get from me."

Brazil head coach Tite recalled how he was "shaking" when he first met Pele, as he wished the three-time World Cup winner good health.

Pele was hospitalised on Tuesday, though his daughter said a day later there was "no surprise or emergency" pertaining to his condition, with Pele also describing it as a "monthly visit".

It was later reported, though not officially confirmed, that the 82-year-old had been moved to palliative care as he was no longer responding to chemotherapy treatment.

The hospital treating Brazil's record scorer described his condition as "stable", while Pele issued a statement to say he remained "strong, with a lot of hope".

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Selecao's World Cup round-of-16 tie against South Korea, Tite shared a memory of meeting Pele for the first time.

"He's probably the only person where I was shaking when I greeted him," he said. 

"Speaking from the bottom of my heart, it was a very emotional moment for me... I didn't even know what was going on... Someone said, 'go and hug Pele'.

"I stopped, started shaking, hands sweating, heartbeat racing. I said, 'wow, I'm going to have opportunity to greet Pele.' He is the person who represents the human aspect.

"Health, Pele, health. That's all I can give you. It's a difficult moment."

The Santos great underwent surgery to remove a tumour from his colon last year, and has been in and out of hospital since.

Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Vinicius Junior are among those to have sent messages of support from the World Cup in Qatar, while former Brazil international and Tite's assistant, Cesar Sampaio, also added his well-wishes.

Sampaio – who began his career at Santos, albeit several years after Pele had retired – recalled having the opportunity to play with him.

"I also had the blessing of meeting Pele," he said. "When I was at Santos, I had the chance to play with him, it was something even more than what Tite said, to be able to be with him on the pitch was so difficult because of what he represents.

"Regardless of your religion, we ask you please send him a prayer and positive vibes. He influenced my development as a man and a human being."

Neymar has returned to training ahead of Brazil's World Cup last-16 tie with South Korea and will feature if he gets the green light from the team's medical department.

Brazil's talisman has not featured in Qatar since the Selecao's opening Group G game - a 2-0 win over Serbia.

Neymar went off in that match having sustained an ankle injury and was unavailable for the rest of the group stage.

The 30-year-old posted images from his return to training on social media on Saturday, along with the caption "I feel good, I knew that I would now", and it was confirmed in Brazil's pre-match press conference that Neymar will be available as long as he comes through a session unscathed on Sunday.

"Neymar's going to practice today," Brazil coach Tite said.

"If he practices okay then he will be playing. There's a specific training today. He will practice and if everything is okay, he will play."

Tite insisted, however, the final call will be with Brazil's medical experts.

"We play a price to be the best, we want to be at our most competent but we never put health at risk," Tite added when asked if Neymar would start if he came through the training session without any issues.

"Neymar being in the line-up depends on the medical department clearing it.

"I prefer to use my best from the start. Myself, as a head coach I have to take that responsibility, and that is my preference."

Tite also confirmed Danilo is available for selection, though Alex Sandro is not. Gabriel Jesus and Alex Telles, meanwhile, have been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.

Son Heung-min was "so f****** proud" as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1 in dramatic circumstances to incredibly secure their passage to the last 16 of the World Cup against all odds.

Although Portugal were underwhelming at Education City Stadium on Friday, it appeared a 1-1 draw was the best South Korea could manage against the Selecao.

Elsewhere in Group H, Uruguay were coasting to a 2-0 victory over Ghana, which meant La Celeste were going to join Portugal in the next round.

But a purposeful run at the heart of the Portugal defence from Son in second-half stoppage time put Fernando Santos' men under pressure, and the Tottenham forward threaded a fine pass through the legs of a defender for Hwang Hee-chan to latch on to.

Hwang confidently swept past Diogo Costa to spark bedlam among the South Korea players, substitutes and staff, while head coach Paulo Bento watched on in a sense of bewilderment in the stands after earning a red card last time out.

South Korea saw out the win and were then left with a tense six-minute wait for the other game to finish, and Uruguay duly failed to get the additional two goals required – it was a long wait for Son.

"It was the longest six minutes of my life I'll say, but in the huddle [on the pitch] we were really positive," Son told reporters afterwards.

"The guys were saying, 'Look, we deserve this, it's well deserved'. And I said [regardless of] what's going to happen, even if Uruguay score more goals, I'm f****** proud of this team.

"That's what I said. I'm very proud of this team and that they gave everything. I was sure we were going through and then everyone was just waiting. But it was a long six minutes."

Four years ago at the same stage of Russia 2018, South Korea and Son suffered heartbreak.

Although they beat Germany on matchday three, confirming the then-holders' elimination, a 3-0 win for Sweden over Mexico ensured South Korea did not go through to the last 16.

But that disappointment did not even cross Son's mind on Friday due to the delirium brought by their victory.

"Of course, I think it was similar moments. We beat Germany 2-0 and if Mexico won their game, probably we go through, but this time [the outcome] was different.

"We were waiting for other results, but I didn't even think about four years ago because I was so happy, so proud. What can I say? I was really happy and really proud."

The Taeguk Warriors' fightback against Portugal was evidence of their character, and Son was keen to pay tribute to the whole squad on what was a memorable day for everyone, even those who did not play.

"We are spending more time together than with friends and family because in the camp the guys have already been here more than a month," he continued.

"I think we are really close, I'm really grateful that who didn't play obviously could be really sad, but they didn't show that disappointment.

"They gave everything on the bench, supporting us. I think this makes a huge difference to be one team [rather] than just going different ways, so I'm very happy, very grateful to lead this team and have this team."

South Korea will play whichever team finishes top of Group G next, with Brazil their likely opponents.

Hwang Hee-chan scored a stoppage-time winner to beat Portugal 2-1 and put South Korea through to the last 16 of the World Cup at the expense of Uruguay in a dramatic conclusion to Group H.

The Taeguk Warriors appeared to be heading out as they looked set to draw while Uruguay led Ghana elsewhere, but Hwang netted at the end to complete an incredible turnaround.

Ricardo Horta had put Portugal in front early on, but they failed to heed the warning posed by Kim Jin-su's disallowed goal soon after, with Kim Young-gwon deservedly getting South Korea back on level terms.

Portugal – who won the group anyway – coasted through the second half and South Korea took full advantage, with Hwang landing the decisive blow to spark bedlam and send Uruguay packing.

South Korea's feeble start suggested they were there for the taking, with Horta applying an easy finish to take a fifth-minute lead after Diogo Dalot breezed past Kim Jin-su and cut the ball back.

Kim Jin-su scored what he thought was the equaliser 12 minutes later, tapping in on the rebound after Diogo Costa saved Cho Gue-sung's header, but it was ruled out for offside.

Portugal's lead was wiped out before the half-hour, though.

Ronaldo shied away from a corner delivery, which struck him, and Kim Young-gwon was on hand to steer home.

Portugal's captain then missed completely missed his kick from close range early in the second half, the subsequent offside flag doing little to spare his blushes.

A second half generally lacking quality appeared to be petering out.

But then captain Son Heung-min darted towards the Portugal goal, awaited support, and calmly fed Hwang through a defender's legs, Hwang slamming past Costa to secure progress in astonishing fashion.

South Korea were left bemoaning a "lack of fairness" after head coach Paulo Bento was sent off at the end of their 3-2 defeat to Ghana due to a furious reaction to his side not being allowed to take a late corner.

During a thrilling contest at Education City Stadium, Ghana found themselves 3-2 up after Mohammed Kudus' second goal of the game halted South Korea's momentum.

The Taeguk Warriors, who had previously fought back from 2-0 down thanks to a Cho Gue-sung brace, piled the pressure on at the end and got themselves a corner.

But referee Anthony Taylor blew for full-time before they could take the set-piece, sparking a frustrated reaction from Bento, whose side were left bottom of Group H with one point heading into their final game.

Bento's red card meant he was banned from taking part in the post-match media conference, but his assistant Sergio Costa was more than willing to state his boss' case.

"Totally unfair," Costa said of the situation. "In the first half they let a similar situation be played.

"The referee took that opportunity away, Paulo reacted. He said nothing that was inappropriate to the referee, but he does what he knows. I think it's a lack of fairness.

"I think the reaction is one of a person and group who feel lack of fairness at the end of the match.

"[Bento] is emotional and defends his own until the last. We are all able to understand his reaction.

"That sometimes leads to reactions that are part of what a human being is made of. It was normal of someone who did everything for the win.

"I believe we should feel sad, feel a lack of justice at the end, but also be proud. We gave our souls and that's something we'll try to repeat."

While Bento's absence for South Korea's crucial final group match – which they need to win – against Portugal is far from ideal, Costa suggested the situation will boost the team's unity.

"We shall continue to prepare in same way as other matches - our strategy will not fail," Costa added. "He won't be present on the matchday, which is a loss because Paulo is obviously a great manager, but I think it will bring us together."

Kudus proved decisive for Ghana after also impressing against Portugal on matchday one, with his brace on Monday making him the second-youngest African player ever to score twice in a World Cup game.

Ghana coach Otto Addo seemed reluctant to lavish Kudus with praise before the game, but he was more forthcoming afterwards and reserved a special mention for the Right To Dream academy, where the Ajax midfielder honed his skills as a youngster before making the most of their link-up with Denmark's Nordsjaelland.

Addo said: "He's a good character, like everyone else. He's a good player who is good one-on-one; he's fast and has very good game intelligence.

"He has to work more defensively, for sure, but he's on the right track to be a great player. I just have high praise for him.

"I've known him for six or seven years, from the time I was working as an assistant at Nordsjaelland, where we have a cooperation with the Right to Dream academy, so also congratulations to them, for this really, really good education.

"Players like him and Kamaldeen [Sulemana] are extraordinary on and off the pitch. They are good guys, good characters. Congratulations to [Right to Dream] for creating such a player."

Mohammed Kudus ended South Korea's valiant turnaround attempt as Ghana won 3-2 on Monday to tee up an engrossing World Cup revenge mission against Uruguay.

The Taeguk Warriors looked the favourites to go on and edge what was a thriller at Education City Stadium after fighting back from 2-0 down, but Kudus' second goal of the game proved decisive.

After a shaky start, Mohammed Salisu had the Black Stars ahead against the run of play, and Ghana – who then began to play with real swagger – were soon 2-0 up thanks to Kudus.

Cho Gue-sung scored with two brilliant headers in a ferocious three-minute spell for South Korea, but that brace did not prove to be the catalyst for victory, as Kudus' cool 68th-minute finish sealed it in Ghana's favour.

All the early purpose came from South Korea, with Daniel Amartey's vital intervention denying Cho a tap-in after just five minutes.

But Ghana weathered the storm and edged in front before the half-hour mark, Salisu smashing in from close range after Jordan Ayew's free-kick delivery caused havoc.

Another brilliant Ayew cross from the left brought a second goal 10 minutes later, as Kudus' glancing header found the bottom-right corner.

South Korea had hope just before the hour. Lee Kang-in robbed Tariq Lamptey and saw his exquisite cross guided home by Cho.

And the striker towered above the Ghana defence to equalise a few moments later.

But Ghana had the last laugh, as Kudus clinically found the bottom-left corner after Inaki Williams completely missed his kick, and South Korea never found a response, with head coach Paulo Bento shown a red card after the final whistle for arguing with the officials.

What does it mean? Uruguay revenge on the agenda for Black Stars as South Korea face up to big challenge

Regardless of what happens in the later game between Portugal and Uruguay, South Korea will need to beat the Selecao on matchday three, and they will probably need to do so by a few goals.

Essentially, qualification for the last 16 now looks highly unlikely, whereas Ghana have the bit between their teeth and will only need a point next time out.

This performance showed teams will always cause the Black Stars problems defensively, but they have talent going forward, and the opportunity for payback after Luis Suarez's infamous handball against them in 2014 will provide real motivation.

Kudos to Ghana

He was lively against Portugal; he was the star of the show here. Kudus is looking like one of the breakout stars of the tournament.

He may not have created any chances, but twice he was in the right place at the right time as he became the second youngest (22 years 118 days old) African player to score two goals in a World Cup match, after Ahmed Musa (21y 254d) for Nigeria against Argentina in 2014.

Salisu plays his part

His goal set Ghana on their eventual path to victory, though the centre-backs exploits at the back were just as key. As South Korea piled the pressure on at the end, he took his clearances tally to a match-high seven.

Kudus' positioning was key in attack; Salisu's was vital at the back.

What's next?

It all comes to a head on Friday as South Korea return to Education City to face Portugal, while Ghana will be tussling with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium.

The fitness of Son Heung-min has dominated the agenda in South Korea over the past three weeks and his availability for their World Cup opener against Uruguay remains in the balance.

The Tottenham striker suffered a fractured eye socket in the Champions League clash with Marseille on November 1 - an injury that has kept a nation on tenterhooks ever since.

He has worn a mask in training since undergoing surgery and was pictured heading the ball for the first time in training on Monday. Coach Paulo Bento has been happy to keep fans guessing, placing a gagging order on the Koreans discussing Son's injury with the media.

In the unlikely event he doesn't make it, it will create a headache for Bento given the strength of Korea's other attacking options.

Hwang Hee-chan has yet to score in 11 appearances for Premier League strugglers Wolves this season while Hwang Ui-jo has fared similarly at Greek side Olympiacos.

While Korea fret over the status of their experienced striker, Uruguay can count on at least one of theirs.

Although Edinson Cavani may miss out due to an ankle injury, Luis Suarez is fit and raring to go in what will be his final World Cup.

It may be his swansong at this level but former Uruguay forward Diego Forlan does not believe that will give the 35-year-old extra motivation.

Forlan told El Pais: "For Luis, just putting on the Uruguay shirt is motivation enough. He's always going to want to do things right because that's his nature. He won't have extra motivation because it's his last World Cup."

South Korea and Uruguay are joined in Group H by Portugal and Ghana and Forlan is aware of the importance of the opening game.

He added: "I think Uruguay are looking good. We have an even group, although we are always competitive.

"The first game is key, especially as it's an even group and then we play Portugal, who I think are better than they were at the last World Cup."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Uruguay - Luis Suarez

Suarez may no longer be the scourge of European defences following his move to Nacional, but he has continued to find success, helping his boyhood club to the Uruguayan title. MLS seems his next move, and he will be hoping to put himself in the spotlight with some trademark feisty displays in Qatar.

Suarez needs one more goal to equal Oscar Miguez's record of eight by a Uruguayan at the World Cup.

South Korea - Son Heung-min

It seems inconceivable that Son won't start in the mask he has donned in training since arriving in Qatar.

The 30-year-old could become just the second Korean to score at three separate World Cups, after Park Ji-sung, if he can find the target in the 2022 edition.

PREDICTION

Even if Son is passed fit, the odds are weighted in Uruguay's favour.

Stats Perform's AI model gives the South Americans a 56.2 per cent chance of victory at Education City Stadium with South Korea's chances of claiming three vital points are rated at just 18.9 per cent. If Korea can get off to a good start then a draw - which comes in at 24.9 per cent - is a possibility.

History certainly favours Uruguay, who have won all four of their World Cup matches against Asian nations, keeping a clean sheet in three of those.

Brazil coach Tite suggested Neymar has more influence in games for the Selecao than Paris Saint-Germain because at international level the team serves him more.

Neymar was in fine form as Brazil crushed South Korea 5-1 in a friendly on Thursday, with the PSG star scoring two penalties.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg with respect to his performance, as he pulled the strings and proved Brazil's biggest creative outlet.

His eight key passes was more than double the figure recorded by anyone else on the pitch, as South Korea failed to deal with him.

Neymar's showing in Seoul might be seen by some as a departure from his showings for PSG this term, with the Ligue 1 champions apparently willing to let him leave.

Tite thinks he can offer an explanation as to why Neymar may appear more important to Brazil.

"Neymar is a bow and an arrow, depending on the circumstances of the game," Tite told reporters. "He has that ability.

"At PSG, he often plays even a little deeper than Messi and Mbappe. Not here, he's more the arrow.

"He gets more rewards. The team works to give him this clarity, this creativity in this respect. We have a very supportive team."

Thursday's result was an impressive one, with Brazil creating a host of chances against the home side.

One aspect that particularly impressed Tite was their intensity despite having to adjust to the time zone.

"The Brazilian team has been at a [certain] performance level in recent games of ours," he continued.

"Doing this away from home – in a different environment and situation, with our internal clock, with the time zone – is difficult.

"I had to drink a load of coffee, and if you're not in the right frame of mind, it's hard to do that at this level of performance.

"I liked not only those in the starting XI, but also those who came on, even more so with some players coming on later and bringing that level of performance.

"I speak of the 'quick legs'. The more Fabio [Mahseredjian, Brazil fitness coach] puts in, the more the opponent wears out. Brazil had a pattern of performance in recent games."

Brazil will remain in the region for Monday's friendly against Japan in Tokyo.

Neymar scored two penalties as Brazil cruised to an entertaining 5-1 friendly win over South Korea in Seoul on Thursday.

South Korea star Son Heung-min had urged his team-mates to be fearless against the top-ranked side in international football, but they were outclassed for much of the match by Tite's men.

A scrappy Richarlison opener had Brazil in charge as early as the seventh minute and, although the hosts did equalise through Hwang Ui-jo, more Brazil goals were inevitable such was their dominance.

Alex Sandro proved key to getting Brazil back in front as he won two penalties either side of half-time, with Neymar outsmarting the goalkeeper on both occasions to put the game beyond South Korea before substitutes Philippe Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus finished off the rout.

Brazil's purposeful start saw Thiago Silva have a goal disallowed for offside inside two minutes, though they did not have to wait much longer to legitimately take the lead as Richarlison deflected Fred's strike into the net.

After wasting several chances in something of an onslaught, the Selecao were pegged back just past the half-hour mark – Hwang held off Silva, spun into the box and shot into the bottom-left corner.

Dominant Brazil were back on top by half-time, though. A VAR review spotted Lee Yong catching Alex Sandro in the box and Neymar coolly converted.

A similar incident occurred 10 minutes into the second half, with Kim Young-Gwon this time culpable, and Neymar ensured the outcome was identical.

Coutinho emphatically found the top-right corner just after replacing Neymar to increase Brazil's handsome lead, before Jesus slotted home at the end of a darting run to round off an impressive day's work for the Selecao.

Spain reached the semi-finals of the men's football tournament at the Tokyo Olympics after surviving an almighty scare against the Ivory Coast.

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly was a surprising opening goalscorer but Dani Olmo levelled before half-time at Miyagi Stadium.

Spain were the dominant force on the ball without finding a breakthrough, and it looked as though they were staring at a shock quarter-final exit when Max Gradel's deflected effort gave Ivory Coast the lead in injury time.

Incredibly, substitute Rafa Mir forced extra time two minutes later, scoring just 58 seconds after coming off the bench.

Spain at last went ahead when Oyarzabal swept home from the penalty spot, Bailly having been penalised for handball after a long VAR review.

Mir completed his hat-trick with two goals in the final three minutes to secure a 5-2 win and send Spain into the final four.

JAPAN STILL DREAMING

Spain will now meet Japan after the hosts battled past New Zealand in Kashima.

There was little to split the sides over 120 minutes, Japan out-shooting their opponents 21 to eight but unable to find a breakthrough.

At the other end, captain Maya Yoshida was the inspiration, posting the highest figures for duel success rate (80 per cent), aerial success rate (71.4 per cent) and blocks (three) of any starting player.

Fittingly, it was Yoshida who converted the final penalty after Liberato Cacace and Clayton Lewis had failed to score, giving Japan a 4-2 win in the shoot-out.

MEXICO WIN CLASSIC TO SET UP BRAZIL CLASH

Brazil's quest to defend the gold medal they won on home soil in 2016 will continue in a semi-final against Mexico.

A solitary goal from Matheus Cunha settled the quarter-final contest with Egypt in Saitama.

If that encounter was cagey, the showdown between Mexico and South Korea was anything but, as a nine-goal thriller was played out in Yokohama.

Mexico led 3-1 at half-time through goals from Henry Martin, Luis Romo and Sebastian Cordova, with Lee Dong-gyeong grabbing a lifeline.

A frenetic contest continued after the break as Lee made it 3-2 only for Martin and Cordova to score their second goals and stretch Mexico's advantage.

Substitute Eduardo Aguirre netted the sixth with six minutes of normal time remaining, Hwang Ui-jo scoring an injury-time consolation.