Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has lavished praise on Neymar after the Barcelona striker netted in last night's 4-0 win over Panama.

The 22-year-old, who converted a long-range free kick in the international friendly, has now scored 31 times in 48 games for his country.

"Neymar is a player that every day surprises with something different," Scolari told AS.

"He's different from the rest and his improvisation is fast. Every coach in the world would love to have Neymar in their ranks and I wouldn't be surprised to see great things from him in the tournament.

"Neymar hasn't played much since he was injured and wanted to play 90 minutes even after he was booked because he needed to get in shape to play. He needs more playing time so he will play on Friday against Serbia."

Brazil open their World Cup Group A campaign against Croatia on June 12.

Written by
Matt Law