Match Highlights: Brazil vs South Korea — as it happened

Brazil crushed South Korea to advance to the Quarter Finals. They'll face Croatia Friday, December 9. Here is how it happened tonight: 

Full-time: The whistle goes off and Brazil progresses to the Quarter Finals with a stunning victory. The exciting first-half proved the sublime strength of the Brazilian team this year. At the end of the game, they celebrated, with Neymar bringing out a huge banner in honour of Pelé, currently in hospital. What a night of football. 

90:00mins: Dani Alves drags a long-distance shot, as Brazil is about cruise their way into the next round. 

80:00mins: Bit shaky all of a sudden from Brazil? The box seems quite open. Brazil aren't trying to score more it seems though Richarlison seems to be waiting. Not nearly as exciting as the first-half. 

79:00mins: Another close chance for South Korea. Though their defense has been weak, not so much for their attack. Brazil changes Alison for Weverton. Neymar is off for Rodrygo. 

77:00mins: GOAL! A free kick for South Korea out on the right. Lee swings it in and Paik takes a shot into the top-right corner. It's for the South Korean fans who have been cheering on. It's 4-1. Pretty flattering for South Korea with the start. 

Photo: Reuters

65:00mins: Chance for South Korea! Allison seems cross with the defense as he does a save. Son does a couple of efforts blocked by Marquinhos. 

60:00mins: Militao takes the bench. 39-year-old Dani Alves is out. The pace has slowed down a fair bit; Brazil have dropped the intensity. Kudos to South Korea if they can keep this up without conceding more goals. 

56:00mins: Neymar takes a free-kick, eyes it up. Raphinha goes in once again but squeezed in a tight angle. 

Half-time: What a sensational game for Brazil. We're watching samba over football. 

36:00mins: GOAL! Paqueta! The ball dribbles easily from Neymar to Vinicius to Paqueta with a fine finish. South Korea's defense is pretty much shattered, to say the least. 

Photo: Reuters

30:00mins: GOAL! Casemiro lifts the ball into the box, Richarlison does a swift, stunning, stunning finish. Time for another dance. This time with Tite too. It's Brazil 3-0 South Korea. Could be another goal before half-time at this rate. 

27:00mins: The pace has dropped. Neymar takes a corner. Not much to report. Expecting Brazil to score again soon though. 

15:00mins: Some encouragement for South Korea. Hwang, flies a power curler it from 25 yards for the top corner but Alisson tips it over the bar. Another shot comes in from the corner. 

12:05mins: 2-0!! Neymar makes it look simple. His 76th goal for Brazil, now only one behind Pelé in the all-time list. Double lead. This couldn't have started any better. 

FIRST WORLD CUP DANCE FOR VINICIUS! pic.twitter.com/3hV67CVEIA

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 5, 2022

11:25mins: Penalty. This game is on fire. Neymar to take it. 

6:47mins: GOAL! Brazil is set to dance again. Raphinha in down the right, cuts back goes through everyone. Vinicius does a neat finish. What a start. 

2:00mins: Brazil's got the ball so far, looking alert to exploit early holes in South Koreans' defense. 

0:00mins: The players are out of the tunnel. Neymar out in the glistening yellow gear. We're yet to see an upset in the knockout stages. Neymar and Danilo's return won't help South Korea, but we'll see. Fun-fact: Neymar apparently told the Korean players he will sign their jerseys if they don't foul him. 

Line-ups: 

Brazil: Alisson, Eder Militao, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Danilo, Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, Raphinha, Neymar, Vinicius Junior, Richarlison.

South Korea: Kim Seung-gyu, Kim Moon-hwan, Kim Min-jae, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Jin-su, Lee Jae-sung, Jung Woo-young, Jeong Woo-yeong, Hwang In-beom, Son Heung-min (captain), Hwang Hee-chan, Cho Gue-sung.

Referee: Clement Turpin (France).

Pre-match talks: Neymar told the Korean players he will sign their jerseys if they don't foul him, via globosport. 

Pre-match briefing: 5-time winner Brazil takes on South Korea, who sensationally reached the last 16, with Hwang Hee-chan's last-minute winner against Portugal. Brazil's star player Neymar and full-back Danilo are set to return after missing the last two games. Today's first game between Japan and Croatia ended in a dramatic finish. But The Atheltic partnered with Nielsen's Gracenote predicts a similar story for the next game: 

In 90 minutes— Brazil to win: 64 per cent; South Korea to win: 14 per cent; Draw: 22 per cent

To ultimately progress to the quarter-final—Brazil: 77 per cent; South Korea: 23 per cent

Leading scorers in each team: Brazil: Richarlison, 2 goals, C. Gue-sung 2 goals. 

History: 

5-time champion Brazil have progressed from each of their last seven Round of 16 matches at the World Cup. Only once in 2014 against Chile, they failed to win in normal time and advanced via penalties.  

The two sides have met seven times previously, but never at a World Cup, with Brazil winning on six occasions and South Korea once, in a friendly in 1999. In a friendly in June this year played in Seoul, Brazil won 5-1.

South Korea have never beaten a South American team in the World Cup before. 

South Korea are the only Asian country to have reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, when they were co-hosts in 2002. They have won one two of the five games they've played at knock-out stages. In 2002, they beat Italy 2-1 in the Round of 16 in one of the most controversial games in the history of the World Cup. 

Previous meetings: The two sides have met seven times previously, but never at a World Cup, with Brazil winning on six occasions and South Korea once, in a friendly in 1999. In a friendly in June this year played in Seoul, Brazil won 5-1.