Neymar not competing with 'icons'

Newly appointed Brazil coach Dorival Junior said that the team needs to learn how to play without their injured star Neymar and also played down the past conflict he had with the player during his time as coach of Brazilian club Santos.

Dorival, who lost his job at Santos in 2010 after benching Neymar, was put in charge of the five-time world champions following the sacking of interim coach Fernando Diniz.

The new coach rated Neymar among the three best booters in the world but said the team needs to find a way to win without the Al-Hilal player.

Dorival, who lost his job at Santos in 2010 after benching Neymar, was put in charge of the five-time world champions following the sacking of interim coach Fernando Diniz.

"Brazil have to learn to move forward without Neymar because he is injured. We have one [Neymar] of the three greatest players in the world, and then we will count on him," Dorival said yesterday.

Brazil's all-time top scorer Neymar ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee while on international duty in October and is not expected to be fit until August.

Dorival said he is eagerly waiting for the return of a fully fit Neymar and said he has already buried the hatchet with the player.

"Neymar is a very important player, as long as he is recovered, fit and fully focused," Dorival said.

Brazil's top scorer underwent surgery in November last year after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee on international duty in October.

"I have no problems with Ney. The proportion that situation took [at Santos] was beyond what we expected, unnecessarily. The Santos board made a decision and I respected it. That's all. We never had any problems.

"Every time we have met it was a positive situation. In general, football is very dynamic. Heaven and hell are just a stone's throw away."

The World Cup-winning French team returned home to a heroes' welcome yesterday, parading down the Champs-Elysees as hundreds of thousands of cheering fans gave a raucous welcome to the country's newest idols.

France overcame a determined Croatia to win 4-2 in Sunday's final in Russia, with teenager Kylian Mbappe applying the coup de grace and cementing his place as a new global superstar at the age of just 19.

Millions of fans in France then celebrated into the night, honking car horns and flying the tricolour flag while the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe were lit up in the national colours of blue, white and red.

Crowds began converging early Monday on the Champs-Elysees, the gathering point for all national celebrations, to catch a glimpse of a returning squad which has captured the country's imagination.

As the celebrating players descended on an open-air bus under heavy police guard -- some of the 2,000 officers deployed in the capital -- nine jets from the Patrouille de France, the air force's acrobatic unit, did an honorary flyover trailing blue, white and red smoke.

After leaving the Champs-Elysees, the players quickly changed into custom-made blue suits before being welcomed at the Elysee Palace by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, who were also decked out in blue for the occasion.

Macron previously promised the Legion of Honour for the victors' "exceptional services" to the country, an award already given to the legendary team which won France's first World Cup title in 1998.

The first couple then posed with the team as they sang the Marseillaise national anthem and waved scarves for a joyous group photo, before heading inside for a private meeting.

"Thanks to you all!" Macron told the team after gathering again outside. "This team is beautiful because you are united!"

Despite a voice nearly failing him, Pogba then proved himself a showman off the field as well as on by leading the guests in an impromptu celebratory rap punctuated by "Allez les Bleus!"

Nearly 3,000 guests were invited to the reception in the Elysee gardens, including around 1,000 youths from local football clubs such as Bondy, the gritty Paris suburb whose towering housing projects produced Mbappe.

Afterwards guests would be treated to the beats of DJ Snake, who has worked with pop stars including Lady Gaga and is part of the Pardon My French collective of French DJs.

Macron had already celebrated with the team on Sunday -- even doing "dab" dance moves with players in a video that has gone viral -- after attending the final in Moscow.

Later, the team were expected to attend a dinner in their honour at the posh Hotel du Crillon.

In Paris, the metro system has temporarily renamed six of its stations in honour of the key players, with the Victor Hugo stop -- named after the famed 19th-century writer -- becoming Victor Hugo Lloris after the team's goalkeeper.

Two stations were rebaptised in tribute to France coach Didier Deschamps, who captained the national side to its first World Cup victory, won on home soil in 1998.

"There are two things that matter -- one is that these 23 players are now together for life, whatever happens, and also that from now on they will not be the same again, because they are world champions," a champagne-soaked Deschamps said Sunday.

Macron will be relieved that joyous and occasionally chaotic celebrations across France on Sunday night passed off without any major incident following a string of terror attacks in France since 2015.

On Sunday night Griezmann and his team mates produced a pulsating performance before falling to the ground, hugging and sobbing as world champions.

"I do not know where I am," the stunned 27-year-old said while organisers hurried to set up the presentation stage on the pitch. "We cannot wait to lift the Cup and bring it back to France."

While waiting for the presentation Griezmann burst into tears, seemingly as the enormity of his team's achievement swept over him, and while a rainstorm soaked the Luzhniki arena, the player embraced French president Emmanuel Macron who kissed his forehead and clasped his shoulders.

Once the French had their hands on the coveted golden trophy, Griezmann grasped it and ran down to fans behind the goal to show them the World Cup, before skipping back along the side of the pitch holding it aloft.

And when he finally emerged from his on-pitch celebrations the tears had been replaced by a wide smile.

"Frankly I have not yet realised what we have done," he grinned after being named man-of-the-match.

"The World Cup... it's a lot... I am very proud of this team, the players, the coach, the staff. We were really a united group either on the bench or in the line-up. We did something incredible, we wrote history," he said, downplaying his individual role.

But certainly it had been a virtuoso performance by a player of undoubted talent who finally answered his doubters on the game's biggest stage.

He had stayed calm under pressure, unlocked the Croatian defence and been key to victory.

For now, though, he wanted to look forward.

"Now we will party and tomorrow we will party with France and with all the French people," he said, again breaking into an enormous grin.

"It is France we love. (We have) different origins but we are all united. We are many players with different backgrounds, but we have the same goal, we wear the same jersey, we work for each other.

Brazilian forward Malcom scored twice to help Al-Hilal ease to a 4-1 victory over Al-Ittihad and claim the Saudi Super Cup title in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

Jorge Jesus' side, top of the Saudi league and still alive in the King's Cup and Asian Champions league, are bidding for a quadruple of trophies this season.

Al-Hilal, who won their fourth Saudi Super Cup title and extended their run to 34 consecutive victories in all competitions, took an early lead after five minutes through Malcom following a one-two with Saleh Al-Shehri.

Al Hilal's Salem Al-Dawsari lifts the trophy with teammates after winning the Saudi Super Cup final. PHOTO: REUTERS

"It was a tough game, delighted to score two goals, and we were thrilled to secure our first title of the season. We have other trophies to pursue," Malcom told SSC Channel.

Abderrazak Hamdallah equalised in the 21st minute as he struck from the rebound after his penalty was saved by Al-Hilal's Yassine Bounou.

Al Hilal's Brazilian forward Malcom celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Saudi Super Cup final match against Al-Ittihad at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on April 11, 2024. PHOTO: AFP

Al-Hilal went ahead again when As Salem Al-Dawsari struck from the edge of the area in the 44th minute, Malcom scored from close range after dribbling past Al-Ittihad captain Ahmed Hegazy and substitute Nasser Al-Dawsari completed the rout.

The rivalry between Al Hilal and Al-Ittihad will be renewed in the King's Cup semi-final on April 30.

Seventeen-year-old rising star Endrick, hailed as one of Brazilian football's great hopes, got his first call-up for national team duty Monday as coach Fernando Diniz seeks to replace injured star Neymar.

Endrick, who is set to join Real Madrid when he turns 18 in July 2024, could make his senior international debut in Brazil's World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina this month, making him the youngest player to receive a call-up for the Selecao since Ronaldo in 1994.

"He's a player with the potential to be a great talent," Diniz told a news conference, announcing his squad.

"This call-up isn't pressure. It's a reward, and also a look at the future of what the kid can be."

Endrick, reportedly bought by Real Madrid for a 72-million-euro transfer fee, is fresh off scoring a clutch brace as his current club, Palmeiras, came back from three goals down to beat league leaders Botafogo 4-3 on Wednesday.

Five-time World Cup winners Brazil will face Colombia away on November 16 in Barranquilla and arch-rivals Argentina on November 21 at Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana stadium.

Diniz, who won the Copa Libertadores on Saturday in his second job as coach of Rio club Fluminense, largely overhauled Brazil's attack with Neymar sidelined by a knee injury.

Also in line for their senior debuts are Brighton forward Joao Pedro, 22, Atletico Mineiro's Paulinho, 23, and Porto's Pepe, 26.

In a surprise move, Diniz left out Tottenham striker Richarlison, a starter at the 2022 World Cup.

Besides 31-year-old Neymar -- sidelined for several months by a knee injury sustained on October 17 in Brazil's 2-0 loss to Uruguay at their last 2026 World Cup qualifier -- Brazil will also be missing their captain, Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, ruled out for several weeks with a hamstring injury.