Off the wire
• Urgent: Indonesia to continue AirAsia search operation  • Hearing for Park's doping case set for Feb. 27  • Beijing reports measles outbreak  • Postecoglou keeps high key ahead of South Korea clash  • Mainland's top Taiwan affairs official to visit Kinmen  • China on yellow alert for blizzard  • 6.1-magnitude earthquake jolts off Fiji  • World Bank proposes pandemic facility against potential health disasters  • Mexico's economy grows 2 percent in November 2014  • 5 policemen injured in Egypt blast  
You are here: 　 Home

Neymar vows to help Brazil win Olympic gold at Rio 2016 Games

Xinhua, January 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

Barcelona star Neymar showed his determination to help Brazil's footballers end their run of bad luck on home soil by leading the Brazilian team to their first ever Olympic title at the Rio 2016 Games.

"I think we can learn from everything and if Brazil has still not won this football gold medal that we're all dreaming of, it's because our time is yet to come," said the Barcelona forward in an interview with rio2016.com which was published on Tuesday.

"I hope to be part of this group and win the title for the Brazilian people, especially since we're playing at home. Winning at the Maracana would be incredible, unforgettable, and you can be sure we'll give our best on the pitch to make this happen."

Alexandre Gallo, the head coach of the Brazilian team at the Rio 2016 Games, has already confirmed that he wants Neymar to fill one of the three slots available for players aged over 23 in Olympic squads.

Despite winning a record five World Cups, Brazil has not won an Olympic football gold medal before. Therefore the "Kingdom of Football" spares no effort to win the only major international football competition that Brazil has yet to win.

Brazil failed to lift the trophy on both occasions it hosted the World Cup, in 1950 and last year, when a 7-1 semifinal defeat by Germany left the host nation in shock. But at the first Olympics staged in South America, Brazil is determined to clinch the title.

"I already imagine myself playing in the Olympic Games in my own country - it will be a dream come true. I've had the opportunity to play in the Confederations Cup and the World Cup in Brazil. So now the Olympic Games is all that's missing. It will bring me a lot of joy," said Neymar.

It would be Neymar's second Olympic Games, having played at London 2012, when Brazil arrived in the final having won five consecutive matches but finished with silver medals after losing 2-1 to Mexico at Wembley Stadium. For Neymar and Brazil, 2016 offers a chance of redemption. Endi