Neymar's training absence on Thursday was "scheduled" and he will miss Paris Saint-Germain's Coupe de France tie with Chateauroux, Christophe Galtier confirmed.

The forward suffered an ankle injury in Brazil's opening World Cup match, missing the final two group-stage games, though he returned to score in both of the Selecao's knockout ties as they crashed out in the quarter-finals to Croatia.

Neymar returned to PSG and featured in their first Ligue 1 fixture against Strasbourg, but he was given a second yellow card for a dive in the 62nd minute as a late Kylian Mbappe penalty snatched a 2-1 victory.

He was therefore suspended for PSG's 3-1 defeat to Lens on Sunday, their first loss of the season, and he was a notable absentee from training on Thursday.

Galtier insisted Neymar not training was planned and he also confirmed the 30-year-old will play no part against Chateauroux in the Coupe de France on Friday.

"As for Neymar's absence in training that had been scheduled, as it was for all of the players who went to the World Cup," PSG boss Galtier told reporters.

"They were assessed by our medical staff and performance team.

"We decided as a group that Neymar, with everything he has experienced with his ankle problem, that he needed time for his ankle to recover."

Asked whether Neymar was expected to miss the following game too, a Ligue 1 home meeting with Angers on Wednesday, Galtier replied: "Just tomorrow."

Neymar was visibly upset after Brazil's penalty defeat to Croatia, with his hopes of winning a World Cup now looking slim with the next tournament occurring when he will be 34.

However, Galtier is not concerned about the former Barcelona man, saying: "I'm not at all worried about Neymar.

"Based on what he has been doing since the start of the season, he is full of desire to play and he wanted to play in the league game but was suspended. He was very disappointed.

"We are lucky to have a very committed Neymar here, but we need to keep an eye on him physically."

After Brazil's shock exit in Qatar, Argentina and France went on to play what many are calling the best World Cup final ever, with PSG's Mbappe and Lionel Messi playing starring roles as La Albiceleste ultimately won on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time.

Galtier hopes Messi receives a warm reception in Paris on his return having beaten France in the final, while saying Mbappe has not changed after winning the tournament's Golden Boot and scoring a hat-trick in the final.

"He [Messi] will not play tomorrow," Galtier explained. "Having discussed it with him, we want him to be ready for the following game.

"I hope he will be celebrated by our supporters. Leo Messi is a Paris national player and World Cup winner. We are lucky to have a player like Messi here.

"We also need to appreciate we have [Mbappe] at the club. Just like Messi, he had a brilliant World Cup.

"Kylian Mbappe quickly wanted to get back into competitive football after the World Cup. I feel he is a very intelligent guy who learns quickly, and he knows the general consensus around him has changed.

"He is a player with huge personality and character who is capable of managing that. We have Kylian Mbappe here on a daily basis and he is the same as before."

Paris Saint-Germain did not lose to Lens simply because Lionel Messi and Neymar were unavailable, according to captain Marquinhos.

The Ligue 1 leaders slipped to a first loss of the season, with goals for Przemyslaw Frankowski, Lois Openda and Alexis Claude-Maurice ensuring a 3-1 defeat at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Sunday.

Christophe Galtier's side were missing key personnel, with Messi only just returning from a post-World Cup victory break and Neymar banned after a red card against Strasbourg.

However, Marquinhos refused to cite the lack of the former Barcelona pair, instead suggesting PSG were simply outclassed by a superior opponent.

"They are great players who make the difference," Marquinhos told Amazon Prime Video. "But we have already won without them.

"We have to find the cohesion of our team again. I think Lens were more efficient, especially in the first half. They won the duels which made the difference.

"We had opportunities to come back, to score, but we weren't able to be as efficient as they were."

PSG's defeat was their first in Ligue 1 since March last year against Monaco, ending a 25-game streak without a loss in the top-flight.

It marked a first competitive reverse as PSG head coach for Galtier, after succeeding Mauricio Pochettino ahead of this campaign, and he felt his side gave an uncharacteristic account of themselves.

"Lens deserve this victory," Galtier said. "I had a hard time recognising my team. We lacked cohesion, we collapsed as the match progressed.

"We gave a lot of space away, we made a lot of technical errors. There was a lot of surprising wastefulness from my boys. They don't give me that habit usually."

Neymar lauded Pele for turning "football into art" and changing the face of the sport forever after the Brazil great's death.

The 82-year-old had been moved to palliative care in Sao Paulo early in December after his body stopped responding to cancer treatment, with a hospital report on Thursday confirming his death after multiple organ failure.

A flood of tributes swiftly followed across the world of football to the three-time World Cup winner, who is widely regarded to be one of the greatest to ever grace the game.

Neymar hailed Pele for leaving a lasting impact on football, which was "just a sport" before his remarkable career that "gave visibility to Brazil".

"Before Pele, 10 was just a number. I've read this phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But this sentence, beautiful, is incomplete," Neymar wrote on social media.

"I would say before Pele, football was just a sport. Pele has changed it all. He turned football into art, into entertainment. Gave voice to the poor, blacks and mostly: gave visibility to Brazil.

"Soccer and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King! He's gone but his magic remains. Pele is FOREVER!!"

Neymar and Pele both share the record for the most goals for Brazil with 77, the former having equalled the long-standing tally with a World Cup quarter-final strike against Croatia in Qatar.

Kylian Mbappe was the "trigger for victory" in Paris Saint-Germain's defeat of Strasbourg as head coach Christophe Galtier praised the forward for putting World Cup heartbreak behind him.

The attacker won and converted a stoppage-time penalty to snatch a late victory against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Wednesday after Neymar had been sent off.

Mbappe's intervention came 10 days after he scored a World Cup final hat-trick for France, only to lose out on a second successive title as Argentina won on penalties.

However, Galtier praised the 24-year-old's fortitude, highlighting his role as a talisman for the champions and suggesting he will pick up where he left off with his World Cup form.

"I think he is on the level of what he did in Qatar," the coach said. "He's benefited from a few days off. Despite the sadness, he had an exceptional tournament, and his recovery means he's been on the pace.

"Since his return, he was determined to play our next two matches. He was the trigger for victory when it was tough. He has taught the whole team with his selflessness."

Neymar's dismissal, for consecutive yellow cards around the hour mark, proved the biggest moment of the match before Mbappe's late heroics.

The Brazilian was booked initially for catching Adrien Thomasson in the face with a trailing hand.

He was then dismissed for simulation.

Galtier acknowledged the second offence was the right call by the officials but felt the first was harsh, particularly after Neymar was on the receiving end of several unpunished challenges.

"I can understand the anger on his part," Galtier added. "I regret that the excessive commitment was not sanctioned more severely. I can understand the simulation, it deserves a yellow.

"But a few minutes before, he takes a bad blow. His first yellow is very severe compared to the number of challenges suffered by Neymar, and not small challenges."

Kylian Mbappe rescued a late victory for Paris Saint-Germain on their return to Ligue 1 action as his injury-time penalty seized a 2-1 win against Strasbourg on Wednesday.

The league leaders had looked destined for a draw at Parc des Princes after captain Marquinhos had cancelled out his opener with an own goal and Neymar had been sent off for consecutive bookings.

But a 96th-minute spot-kick for the France international, just under a fortnight on from his hat-trick in defeat for France in the World Cup final, ensured his side avoided dropping points for the third time this season.

It marked a major reprieve for Christophe Galtier's side, who were without Qatar 2022 winner Lionel Messi in the French capital, and struggled to convert their early dominance into a more comfortable result.

Christophe Galtier insists there is no risk involved in throwing his World Cup stars straight back into Ligue 1 action.

The likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi are poised to face Strasbourg on Wednesday as the French top flight cranks into gear once more.

A six-week break for domestic duty has seen PSG's star names experience the roller coaster emotions and intense scrutiny of national team duty at the highest level.

Hakimi helped Morocco make history by becoming Africa's first semi-finalists, while Neymar had an injury-plagued campaign that ended with Brazil's defeat on penalties to Croatia in the quarter-finals.

Mbappe then experienced the cruellest of fates when he became just the second man to hit a hat-trick in a World Cup final, only to finish as a runner-up after France's spot-kicks loss to Argentina.

Ten days will have passed since that loss at Lusail Stadium when Mbappe steps out to face lowly domestic rivals, and Galtier said: "I don't think there is a risk.

"They wanted to get to play in these very important league games. Of course, we will need to manage things in the coming weeks to see how Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappe cope.

"We are thinking about that and we will need to find the fight time for them to rest."

That rest is likely to come sooner rather than later, given PSG have Champions League commitments from February, but for now Galtier believes his players are reliable judges of their readiness to play.

Head coach Galtier saw PSG pull five points clear of second-placed Lens before the World Cup, and with a trip to Stade Bollaert-Delelis coming up on Sunday, the Strasbourg game might be seen by outsiders as a soft landing before the first big test arrives.

Galtier sees it as nothing of the sort, warning the 19th-placed visitors are "playing for their lives" and suggesting PSG's previous form counts for nothing.

Strasbourg have won just one of 15 league games to date this season, while unbeaten PSG have 41 points from the same number of matches.

Strasbourg also have the highest expected goals against total in Ligue 1 this season (28.52 xGA), signalling their opponents have been able to create a high number of good goalscoring chances, while PSG have the lowest (15.06 xGA) and have shipped just nine goals.

PSG are unbeaten in 31 home games against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 (W24 D7), too, the longest such streak against a specific opponent by a Ligue 1 team without ever losing.

On paper, therefore, there is little for Strasbourg to cling to. PSG have not lost at home in their past 36 home games spanning all competitions (W30 D6), since losing to Manchester City in the Champions League in April of last year.

Perhaps the only saving grace for the team from Alsace is they will not have to face World Cup winner Lionel Messi, who has been granted an extended break by PSG.

Galtier knows anything less than three points would be a disappointment, which is why he is preparing the team with the utmost seriousness and backing them to respond.

"If you just focus on the table that would be a big mistake," Galtier said.

"We are starting from scratch. That is what I said to my players. We had a very good start to the season and we know why that was. The players a had a serious approach. They were demanding. They showed determination and humility.

"They want to achieve something together and all of us need to be in the same mindset tomorrow come kick-off."

Lionel Messi is a World Cup winner at the fifth and final attempt, after Argentina held their nerve to defeat France in one of the greatest matches in tournament history.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, who claimed a second Golden Ball with his brace, saw off domestic team-mate Kylian Mbappe, who bagged only the second-ever hat-trick in men's final history, to win in Doha.

La Albiceleste appeared to have wrapped up the prize after goals for Messi and Angel Di Maria in the first half, but were made to work for their triumph after France rose from the canvas to force extra-time – and then penalties again after a 3-3 draw.

But Argentina delivered in the shoot-out, winning it 4-2 to end a 36-year drought for football's biggest prize, and confirming one of their true legends adds the biggest accolade of all to his trophy cabinet.

Messi's long-awaited success at the tournament was widely celebrated by players and peers across the game, with Paris Saint-Germain colleague Neymar saluting him on social media.

"Congratulations brother," he posted on Twitter.

Romario, who like Messi won the Golden Ball and the World Cup trophy in the same tournament when he did so with Brazil in 1994, mentioned Argentina legend Diego Maradona, with this the first tournament since his passing in November 2020.

"I'm sure my friend Maradona is happy to see this victory, as are his people," Romario said on Twitter. "Congratulations Argentina!

"Argentina were better on the field and Messi received the title he was missing today, that of world champion for his country."

Andrea Pirlo, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, stated: "Great final... congratulations to Messi and Argentina!"

Jerome Boateng started for Germany against Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final, when a 113th-minute Mario Gotze winner condemned Messi's side to defeat.

Having watched Messi come back from that devastating loss to finally get his hands on international football's top prize, Boateng spoke of his joy at watching him finally lift the trophy.

"Congratulations Lionel Messi and Argentina. Finally you got the trophy you truly deserve," Boateng said.

Former Barcelona colleague Dani Alves was delighted for Messi on Instagram, stating: "Football loves you and those of us who love football respect you and congratulate you right now for that moment.

"Enjoy it with your family. As a Brazilian and as a South American, I know that's more than winning that cup."

Neymar has been acquitted of fraud and corruption charges stemming from his 2013 transfer to Barcelona from Santos.

A Spanish court also exonerated Neymar's father and the two clubs, while ex-Barca presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell were also found not guilty, as well as former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues.

The trial in October examined the Brazil international's move in 2013 after complaints by DIS, a Brazilian company that owned 40 per cent of Neymar when he was playing for Santos.

The case was brought by Spanish prosecutors, with DIS citing lost income after the real value of the transfer was understated by the other parties.

DIS were seeking a five-year jail term for Neymar as well as a fine of up to €149million, while the prosecutors hoped for a two-year prison sentence for Neymar.

But the now Paris Saint-Germain forward has been cleared. Following Brazil's exit from the World Cup, he could return for PSG when they resume their Ligue 1 season against Strasbourg on December 28.

Neymar will "come back stronger" after Brazil's World Cup elimination, legendary striker Ronaldo hopes.

Brazil were dumped out of the World Cup by Croatia on penalties on Friday, despite Neymar putting Brazil a goal up in the second half of extra time.

Bruno Petkovic's deflected finish pegged Brazil back with four minutes left to play, and Rodrygo and Marquinhos missed their spot-kicks as Croatia reached the semi-finals for a second consecutive tournament.

Neymar was due to take the fifth penalty for Brazil, but his team-mates' misses meant he never got the chance and the Paris Saint-Germain star was left in tears after the conclusion of the shoot-out.

Ronaldo, who won the Golden Boot as Brazil lifted the 2002 World Cup, hopes Neymar will bounce back from his disappointment in Qatar. 

"I think at the moment he is upset by the elimination," Ronaldo told reporters on Monday. "It's normal for him to feel that way but I'm sure he'll come back stronger and keep playing for the team.

"He is still young, and I believe he can play in the next World Cup. I am very happy that he has shown the world his commitment to the national team and that he has taken care of himself over the past six months.

"It's very important to us, so I hope he will recover quickly and come back stronger with PSG and the Selecao."

Ronaldo feels Brazil's lack of ruthlessness in Friday's quarter-final defeat ultimately cost them a place in the final four, explaining: "Brazil had a great World Cup. 

"We only lacked the vice, that is to say knowing how to waste time when you are leading. After this goal in extra time [Neymar's strike to put Brazil 1-0 up], the match should have been over.

"You have to know how to circulate the ball well and chase the opponent, keep it away from the goal. You need this little trick, be smart. I think that's the only thing we lacked against Croatia."

Brazil arrived in Qatar as the favourites to win the tournament a record-extending sixth time.

But their exit looks to have opened the door for reigning champions France to become the first team to retain their World Cup crown since Brazil did in 1962.

Ronaldo views Les Bleus as the team to beat now, with Didier Deschamps' side set to face Morocco in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

"My forecast, before the start of the World Cup, was a final between France and Brazil," the 46-year-old declared. "Brazil is no longer there, but France confirms with each match that it is one of the favourites. 

"I even think it's the big favourite. France has a very solid team, both in defense and in attack."

France's Kylian Mbappe has been one of the stars of the World Cup, and currently leads the goalscoring charts with five in five games at the tournament.

Ronaldo lauded the 23-year-old's abilities, saying: "Mbappe is having a very good World Cup. He has incredible physical and technical qualities, for me he will be the best player in the World Cup.

"He reminds me a bit of me when I was playing. He knows how to use his skills, his speed and his power, how to go faster than the others and use them to pass or score. He is impressive."

Brazil great Ronaldo says Lionel Messi's incredible achievements do not mean he deserves to win the World Cup and the Argentina captain must earn his shot at glory.

Messi provided a goal and an assist as Argentina overcame the Netherlands on penalties in the last eight, and he will hope to lead the Albiceleste to their sixth World Cup final when they meet Croatia in Tuesday's semi-final.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward has assumed a talismanic role in Qatar, with his return of six goal contributions - four goals and two assists - only bettered by Kylian Mbappe, who has five goals and two assists.

Messi has both scored and assisted in two different games at this World Cup, and in three at the tournament overall. Since 1966, no player has done so on four occasions.

While praising Messi's performances, Ronaldo warned lifting the World Cup will not come easily for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

"We all deserve it. Nobody gives you anything, not even for your story," Ronaldo told reporters on Monday.

"Argentina isn't playing very well, but they play together, they're aggressive and then there's Messi, who is decisive when he's near the box. He now does less sprints than before.

"At the beginning of his career he did 30 actions and now he does 10, but he is still decisive. As soon as he gets the ball and he sees spaces, or is in the area, he is a killer.

"Would I be happy if Messi won the World Cup? Of course, I would be happy for him, but there is a big rivalry between Brazil and Argentina.

"I'm not going to be hypocritical and say that I would be happy for Argentina, that's not true!"

Messi will equal Lothar Matthaus' record of 25 World Cup appearances when he takes to the field on Tuesday, while a goal would see the 35-year-old surpass Gabriel Batistuta's tally of 10 World Cup strikes for the Albiceleste.

While Argentina remain in contention for a third World Cup triumph, their great rivals Brazil crashed out in the quarter-finals after losing a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Croatia.

The decision for Neymar to take Brazil's fifth and final penalty – a kick which never arrived due to Rodrygo and Marquinhos failing to convert – has attracted criticism, but Ronaldo does not view it as a mistake.

"I don't agree with any of the theories about the penalty shoot-out," he said. "I think changing the sequence... it's extremely delicate for you to approach a player and show that you don't have confidence in him, asking for another to take his place.

"That doesn't exist in football, in a group where everyone has full confidence in the coach and the nation. 

"You arrive and ask to change, this is a great absurdity. Those who support this theory do not understand the dynamics of a group."

Harry Kane's penalty miss in England's World Cup defeat to France may have been influenced by the long VAR check, according to Jurgen Klinsmann, who feels there is "more to come" from the Three Lions.

England suffered an agonising quarter-final defeat to the reigning champions on Saturday, as Kane blazed an 84th-minute spot-kick over the crossbar after scoring an earlier penalty.

Referee Wilton Sampaio – who was criticised by some England players after the game – was initially unmoved by Theo Hernandez's push on Mason Mount, only awarding England's second penalty after a long VAR review.

Speaking in his role as part of FIFA's Technical Study Group on Monday, former Tottenham forward Klinsmann blamed that wait for Kane's costly error.

"From the time that he whistles for the penalty until the time he gets a chance to actually execute the penalty, there's far, far too much time passing by, and it works into your brain," Klinsmann said.

"I'm obviously a big Harry Kane fan and if Harry had the chance to just put the ball down and shoot, no big deal.

"But the whole VAR situation, double-checking whether it was a penalty… time goes by and by and by.

"Then you obviously start thinking and you get to a point where you don't execute the penalty the way you would have done it right after the whistle."

Kane's miss ensured England suffered a record seventh World Cup quarter-final exit, but Klinsmann believes they remain on the right path despite several near misses under Gareth Southgate.

"I think, overall, it was a very positive presentation from the English side in this entire tournament," the 1990 World Cup winner said.

"This game, France v England, came just too early. It should have been a semi-final or the final.

"But one team had to go home and unfortunately it was England, from an English perspective. But I think overall they played a very good tournament.

"It's still a team in growth. I think this team is still able to get better over the next few years. They are, age-wise, not on the limit now by any means.

"They have a lot of talent coming through, getting better, getting more experienced. They have now had three very positive tournaments with the one in Russia [in 2018], obviously the Euros where they went to the final.

"Now I think this was a very positive tournament, even if it ended in the quarter-finals. There's more to come from this England side, in my opinion."

England were not the only team to suffer penalty heartache in Qatar, with pre-tournament favourites Brazil bowing out at the same stage courtesy of a shoot-out defeat against Croatia.

Brazil planned for star forward Neymar to take their fifth and final penalty, which never arrived after Rodrygo and Marquinhos failed to convert, and Klinsmann believes that was a mistake.

Asked for his thoughts on where the Selecao went wrong, Klinsmann said: "Put your best shooter first. Set the tone with your best penalty-taker."

Neymar continues to struggle to come to terms with Brazil's World Cup exit, saying that he "still hurts like hell from loss".

Pre-tournament favourites Brazil were bundled out of the World Cup by Croatia 4-2 on penalties after the game ended 1-1 following extra time.

Neymar, who scored a brilliant goal in extra-time but did not take a spot kick in the 4-2 penalty shoot-out loss, wrote on Instagram on Saturday that he was "psychologically destroyed" by the loss and doubled down on that with another post on Sunday upon his return to his homeland.

"On Brazilian soil… still hurts like hell from loss, we were so close, so close," Neymar wrote. "Unfortunately or fortunately I still haven't learned to lose. Defeats make me stronger, but they hurt me too much and I'm still not used to it.

"Anyway, we have to move on... life moves us on, even if it hurts and the hurt takes time to heal, we have to move on.

"Once again I want to thank the Brazilian people for their support and affection. Hearing from you that we fought, delivered until the end comforts a little of our pain.

"Thank you Qatar for everything. The cup was beautiful and she had to be from Brazil to crown it all, but by God's destiny it wasn't."

It has been speculated that this will be 30-year-old Neymar's final World Cup, and he was reluctant to commit to playing on for his country in the immediate aftermath of the game.

He added on Instagram: "We keep going... Now it's to turn off the key, take advantage of family and friends, recharge energies because dealing with this defeat will be very difficult, it still hurts me A LOT! FAITH."

Neymar also reserved a special 'open letter' post for 61-year-old Brazil head coach Tite, who has stepped down from the role following the World Cup after six-and-a-half years in charge.

"I knew you as a coach and I already knew you were very good but as a person you are MUCH BETTER!," Neymar wrote. "I come here to openly thank you for everything, all the teachings you've given us... and there were so many.

"You will always be one of the best coaches I've ever had or will have, I will always lift you up. We had beautiful moments but we also had moments that hurt us a lot and the latter will hurt us for a long time.

"You deserved to be crowned with this cup. We all deserved it for everything we did and for everything we gave up to try to achieve our biggest dream. But God didn't want it that way, patience. God has given us EVERYTHING!"

Dani Alves has thanked outgoing Brazil coach Tite following the Selecao's shock World Cup elimination, declaring: "There are some medals you don't wear on your chest, but on your soul."

The five-time winners succumbed to a surprise quarter-final exit on Friday, losing 4-2 to Croatia in a penalty shoot-out after Bruno Petkovic cancelled out Neymar's opening goal late in extra time.

Alves became Brazil's oldest player to feature at the World Cup during their group-stage defeat to Cameroon earlier this month (aged 39 years and 210 days), but was an unused substitute as Tite's side slipped to a second consecutive last-eight exit.

Tite revealed in February that he would leave his role irrespective of how Brazil's World Cup campaign ended, and despite the pain of Friday's defeat, Alves remains grateful for the 61-year-old's work with the team.

Writing on Instagram alongside an image of the pair embracing, Alves said: "This hug is the purest meaning of what you represent to me and to this group of special human beings.

"Special for their particularities, for their character, for their humility and above all, for the stories of overcoming difficulties and for the great souls that exist behind the small screen.

"There are some medals you don't wear on your chest, but on your soul, and this is one.

"Thank you for teaching us how to be men, children, friends, brothers and human beings. It may be that what we have today has no value, or it may be that there are still beings who still believe how valuable and important it is.

"This is our last trip here, and I can tell you; I would not change a thing. I wish you all the wonderful and purest things in this life and the next.

"May you have the peace that I will also take with me. The peace of duty fulfilled and mission accomplished. The result of a game will never change the score of our lives.

"With great affection and respect, thank you for all these years together in the promise of representing the best country in the world."

Only fellow full-backs Cafu (143) and Roberto Carlos (127) have won more senior caps for Brazil than Alves (126), and the Barcelona great is under no illusions that his own association with the World Cup is over.

However, he hopes the same cannot be said for Neymar, who refused to give any guarantees on his international future in the aftermath of the Selecao's defeat.

Speaking after Friday's game, Alves told reporters: "This World Cup was my last one. For me, it's time to say that. But I don't think it will be the same for Neymar. He's great, Brazilian football needs him to keep going."

Neymar is struggling to accept he has become yesterday's man at the Qatar World Cup, saying Brazil's exit has left him "psychologically destroyed".

Defeat on penalties to Croatia on Friday meant Brazil's campaign was over, with the pre-tournament favourites falling to the shock finalists from four years ago.

This may have been Neymar's final World Cup, and he was reluctant to commit to playing on for his country in the immediate aftermath of the game.

His dazzling goal gave Brazil the lead in extra time, but a late equaliser from Bruno Petkovic took the quarter-final to spot-kicks, and it was Zlatko Dalic's side who got the better of Tite's men.

In an Instagram post on Saturday, Neymar wrote: "I'm psychologically destroyed. This was certainly the defeat that hurt me the most, which made me paralysed for 10 minutes and right after I fell into non-stop crying. It's gonna hurt for a loooong time, unfortunately."

Neymar's strike meant the Paris Saint-Germain forward equalled Pele's record of 77 goals for Brazil, but that was no consolation. He came to win a World Cup and may now never get his hands on that trophy.

"We fought until the end," Neymar added. "That's what I'm proud of my team-mates for, because there was no lack of commitment and dedication. This group deserved it, we deserved it, BRAZIL deserved it... But this was not the will of GOD!

"Thank you all for your support with our national team. Unfortunately it didn't work out."

Pele sent Neymar an impassioned and long message after the game, with the Brazil great attempting to rally the current generation while he is in hospital.

The 82-year-old again reacted on Saturday to Neymar's latest message, telling him: "Continue to be an inspiration."

Brazil have not reached a World Cup final since their 2002 triumph gave the Selecao a record fifth title.

Neymar's former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez also offered his support.

Suarez, who went out with Uruguay at the group stage, told Neymar: "Much strength bro and onwards and upwards. Many times we fall, but we always have the strength to move forward because we fight a lot to succeed in this beautiful sport. Stay strong little brother."

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic insists his team will have no reason to "fear" Lionel Messi in the World Cup semi-finals if they repeat the defensive approach that limited Neymar's influence against Brazil.

A 4-2 penalty shoot-out win over the Selecao on Friday following a 1-1 draw after extra time at Education City Stadium secured Croatia successive World Cup semi-final appearances.

Neymar did give Brazil the lead in the first half of extra time at the end of a brilliant move, before Bruno Petkovic's deflected strike took the game to penalties.

But Brazil's talisman otherwise struggled to penetrate the Croatian defence.

Occupying a slightly more central position inside Vinicius Junior on the left, the two players managed just one key pass and five completed dribbles out of 14 between them as Mario Pasalic, Josip Juranovic and Luka Modric worked tirelessly to pressure them.

Life will not get much easier for Croatia in their next game as they face Messi and Argentina, though Dalic is confident in their ability to keep him quiet.

"We need to guard against Messi, but not in a player-on-player style, as we didn't [do that] in our last meeting," he said.

"We know how much he runs, how much he likes to play with the ball at his feet and the key to our defensive phase will be discipline.

"If we repeat the same thing as against Brazil, which is that we are close [to him], that we stand by the player, we have nothing to fear."

Dalic was keen to stress Messi cannot be their sole focus.

However, he believes Croatia should be able to take encouragement from Argentina's struggles against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

The Albiceleste were 2-0 up against the Oranje before being pegged back by Wout Weghorst's brace, forcing extra time and subsequent penalties.

Argentina came through the shoot-out successfully, though in Dalic's mind they clearly are not bulletproof.

"We will make a detailed analysis of [Argentina] because we have not been so focused on them so far," he said.

"Messi is still their main player, who plays great and carries this national team. They also have some young, talented players and they look very dangerous.

"However, they showed they are vulnerable because they led 2-0 against the Netherlands, and in the end they barely reached penalties at 2-2.

"It's up to us to give our best and go into the game one hundred percent focused."