FIFA World Cup 2014: Neymar Jr out of World Cup

Rio de Janeiro: Neymar, Brazil’s poster boy and top scorer, is out of the World Cup after breaking a vertebra during his team’s 2-1 win over Colombia in  Fortaleza on Friday. His absence will be a big blow for the host country’s aspirations of winning a sixth world crown.

The forward collapsed to the ground in excruciating pain after  Colombia’s Juan Zuniga had kneed him on his back in the dying minutes  of the quarterfinal. He was carried off in a stretcher. Later, doctors confirmed the worst fears of Brazilian fans by declaring him unfit to continue in the tournament.