Injured Neymar says Brazil World Cup 'dream' not over

Brazil football star Neymar said on Saturday that his dream of playing in the World Cup final had been stolen from him by a fractured vertebrae inflicted by a Colombia defender.

"They took away my dream of playing in a World Cup final, but the dream of being world champion has not ended," Neymar said in remarks released by the Brazilian football federation.

"There are two games left and I am sure my teammates will do everything to lift the trophy," he said.

The Brazil squad applauded the 22-year-old Barcelona striker at an emotional farewell at their Teresopolis camp before he was taken to Rio de Janeiro by helicopter.

Neymar was ruled out of the rest of the World Cup after Colombian defender Juan Zuniga kneed him in the back in a challenge in Friday's quarter-final. Brazil play Germany in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

Fifa said it is investigating the incident to see whether disciplinary proceedings are necessary. And Zuniga again insisted Saturday that there was no malicious intent in his challenge.

"I deeply regret the sad injury suffered by Neymar during the game between Brazil and Colombia," the defender said in a letter sent to Neymar that was quoted by the Colombian Football Federation.

"This situation resulted from normal game action and there was no ill-intent, malice or negligence on my part," Zuniga added.

Neymar was collecting the ball in the 88th minute, with his side leading 2-1, when Zuniga launched a jumping challenge from behind and kneed the Brazilian in the lower part of his back.

Doctors said Neymar fractured the third vertebrae in his lower back. He was stretchered off the field in agony.

DEATH THREATS

Colombia's Juan Zuniga received a flood of death threats and racist abuse on social media on Saturday as Brazilians reacted angrily to his tournament-ending foul on star forward Neymar.

"Zuniga" was trending on Twitter and messages included a torrent of abusive comment aimed at the Napoli defender after he kneed Neymar in the back, fracturing a vertebrae.

Among the less offensive posts, contributors called the 28-year-old a "monster" and the "biggest villain in the history of football".

The abuse was tempered by other posts which called for calm and said racist abuse was unacceptable.

Zuniga earlier said he did not mean to hurt Neymar in the challenge, which came towards the end of a combative match which saw 54 fouls.

"I never wanted to hurt the player. When I'm on the pitch, I do everything to defend my country and the shirt I wear, but always without intent to injure anybody," he told Globo TV.

"It was a match both teams wanted to win. It got a bit heated. There were strong tackles but the Brazilians were doing the same. It's normal. I didn't make that challenge trying to break his spine. I was defending my country.

"It's a very sad thing. I hope, with the help of God that it's not too serious because everyone knows he's a great talent for Brazil."

PELE

Pele said on Saturday his heart ached for Neymar after Brazil's star player was ruled out of the rest of the World Cup but noted that the team lifted the 1962 trophy despite his own injury.

The football legend, recalling that Neymar had played at Santos like him, wrote on Twitter that "it hurts our hearts to know that he can no longer defend Brazil in the World Cup."

"I was also injured during the 1962 World Cup in Chile, and I was out for the rest of the tournament," he wrote in English and Portuguese.

"But God helped Brazil continue on to win the Championship. I hope the same will happen with our Selecao in this World Cup."

Four years after winning their first World Cup, the Selecao had to play without Pele in the tournament in Chile after he was injured against Czechoslovakia in the second game.

But they managed to win their second World Cup thanks to the dribbling skills of another legend, Garrincha.

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