With his late winner against Switzerland, Casemiro has put Brazil into the knockout rounds, winning the praise of his team-mate Neymar.
Neymar has lauded Casemiro as “the best midfielder in the world” after the latter fired Brazil into the knockout rounds of the World Cup against Switzerland.
After injuring his ankle in the Selecao’s Group G opener, the Paris Saint-Germain forward was forced to watch his team’s second leg from their hotel.
In a fierce encounter, it was the Manchester United midfielder’s late strike that earned Brazil a 1-0 win, with Neymar briefly praising his team-mate after the final whistle.
“Casemiro has been the best midfielder in the world for a long time,” the striker simply wrote on Twitter after the match.
Casemiro’s strike proved crucial for Tite’s side as they sealed victory late on – his 83rd-minute goal was Brazil’s second-last World Cup match-winner after beating Costa Rica in 2018.
Asked by Stats Perform in his post-match press conference whether he agreed with Neymar, Tite replied: “As usual I always respect opinions but I don’t comment on them.
“But I will allow myself today. I agree.”
Explaining why he decided to play the 30-year-old in a deeper position, he added: “Casemiro is a second midfielder, we saw that.
“He works as a central player, there is an element of surprise at the back. If Casemiro is already high, it is easy to be marked, but when he comes from behind he can be a surprise.”
Brazil ended their campaign in Group G against Cameroon on 2 December.
