Neymar close to Pele’s score

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic is prepared to make changes for Sunday's World Cup final against France if some of his players have not recovered from their exertions in reaching football's biggest game.

Dalic's men have been forced to go through three periods of extra-time against Denmark, Russia and England to become the smallest country in 68 years to make the final.

"Tomorrow is the World Cup final. Simply, the players know what that is," Dalic said on Saturday.

"One thing that brings me happiness is that all my players tell me if they are not 100 percent fit. They will concede and say they are not fit. They know what is at stake, but if they are unable to give their all they will tell us. They have such an attitude."

Ivan Perisic, who scored and set up Mario Mandzukic's winner in a 2-1 semi-final win over England, was among five Croatian players to miss training on Friday.

"We have nothing to train. We need relaxation and rest to gain freshness for tomorrow. We have some minor injuries, minor problems, and I hope my players will be ready. If not, I have great players on the bench who will be raring to go."

Brazil superstar Neymar brushed off his critics after firing the five-time World Cup winners to victory over Mexico on Monday and into a quarter-final showdown with Belgium.

Neymar scored one goal and created another as his increasingly impressive Brazil side overpowered the Mexicans 2-0 in sweltering conditions.

But Neymar's sparkling performance was tarnished by yet another example of his tendency to overreact to seemingly innocuous challenges.

The latest chapter in a bulging catalogue of histrionic behaviour came in the second half, when Mexico midfielder Miguel Layun appeared to step on his ankle as he lay prone.

Neymar writhed around and convulsed as if he had received an electric shock.

"I think it's a shame for football," Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio lamented afterwards, saying Neymar's antics had wasted precious time.

"We wasted a lot of time because of one single player ... we lost our style in the second half, because of the referee.

"This is a very bad example for the world and the world of football."

Russia was the target of almost 25 million cyber-attacks during the World Cup, President Vladimir Putin said, though he did not indicate who may have been behind the attacks.

"During the period of the World Cup, almost 25 million cyber-attacks and other criminal acts on the information structures in Russia, linked in one way or another to the World Cup, were neutralised," Putin said during a meeting on Sunday with security services. The comments were reported by the Kremlin on Monday.

France were 2-1 ahead against Croatia at halftime in the World Cup final after a pulsating opening 45 minutes at the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday.

France took the lead when Croatia forward Mario Mandzukic, who scored the extra-time winner over England in the semi-final, inadvertently headed home an Antoine Griezmann free-kick in the 18th minute for the first own goal in a World Cup final.

Croatia's Ivan Perisic, who had also scored in the semi-final, levelled with a powerful shot 10 minutes later after France had failed to clear a Luka Modric free-kick.

But Perisic was then responsible for conceding a penalty for handball that was give following a VAR decision and Griezmann coolly converted the spot-kick in the 38th to put the French back in front.

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Neymar broke down in tears when he walked into a recreation of his tiny childhood bedroom on a TV program -- Caldeirão do Huck -- ahead of the World Cup. The Brazilian superstar’s parents and his sister made a surprise visit to that replica of Neymar’s first house  in San Vicente on the coast of Sao Paolo, and altogether they comforted him on that program.

As soon as he entered the room he broke into tears, walking around the room he picked up some items also. After a short time of reflection, Neymar's parents, his sister Rafaella and girlfriend Bruna Marquezine all eventually made their way into the room to share the experience with him. The replica house is the place where the PSG forward grew up, the bed room is full of footballs, football shorts and trophies.

His mother Nadine said: "He looked at me and asked me 'why mom?’ And I did not know how to answer him."

Neymar's parents and his sister helped the TV producers recreate the room, which also featured pictures from the family's past.