Neymar will "come back stronger" after Brazil's World Cup elimination, legendary striker Ronaldo hopes.
Brazil were dumped out of the World Cup by Croatia on penalties on Friday, despite Neymar putting Brazil a goal up in the second half of extra time.
Bruno Petkovic's deflected finish pegged Brazil back with four minutes left to play, and Rodrygo and Marquinhos missed their spot-kicks as Croatia reached the semi-finals for a second consecutive tournament.
Neymar was due to take the fifth penalty for Brazil, but his team-mates' misses meant he never got the chance and the Paris Saint-Germain star was left in tears after the conclusion of the shoot-out.
Ronaldo, who won the Golden Boot as Brazil lifted the 2002 World Cup, hopes Neymar will bounce back from his disappointment in Qatar.
"I think at the moment he is upset by the elimination," Ronaldo told reporters on Monday. "It's normal for him to feel that way but I'm sure he'll come back stronger and keep playing for the team.
"He is still young, and I believe he can play in the next World Cup. I am very happy that he has shown the world his commitment to the national team and that he has taken care of himself over the past six months.
"It's very important to us, so I hope he will recover quickly and come back stronger with PSG and the Selecao."
Ronaldo feels Brazil's lack of ruthlessness in Friday's quarter-final defeat ultimately cost them a place in the final four, explaining: "Brazil had a great World Cup.
"We only lacked the vice, that is to say knowing how to waste time when you are leading. After this goal in extra time [Neymar's strike to put Brazil 1-0 up], the match should have been over.
"You have to know how to circulate the ball well and chase the opponent, keep it away from the goal. You need this little trick, be smart. I think that's the only thing we lacked against Croatia."
Brazil arrived in Qatar as the favourites to win the tournament a record-extending sixth time.
But their exit looks to have opened the door for reigning champions France to become the first team to retain their World Cup crown since Brazil did in 1962.
Ronaldo views Les Bleus as the team to beat now, with Didier Deschamps' side set to face Morocco in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
"My forecast, before the start of the World Cup, was a final between France and Brazil," the 46-year-old declared. "Brazil is no longer there, but France confirms with each match that it is one of the favourites.
"I even think it's the big favourite. France has a very solid team, both in defense and in attack."
France's Kylian Mbappe has been one of the stars of the World Cup, and currently leads the goalscoring charts with five in five games at the tournament.
Ronaldo lauded the 23-year-old's abilities, saying: "Mbappe is having a very good World Cup. He has incredible physical and technical qualities, for me he will be the best player in the World Cup.
"He reminds me a bit of me when I was playing. He knows how to use his skills, his speed and his power, how to go faster than the others and use them to pass or score. He is impressive."
Greenwood excited by Man City playing in 'pinnacle' of football
Manchester City captain Alex Greenwood is excited by the challenge that competing in the Champions League will bring to the club as they aim to win it for the first time.
They face Barcelona at home on Wednesday in their opening match in Group D, having failed make it past the qualifying rounds in the previous two years.
City ensured they would avoid the same fate this time around though, with an emphatic 8-0 aggregate victory over Paris FC.
The significance of being in the competition was not lost on Greenwood.
"It's the pinnacle to win the Champions League. To win this competition is another level," she said.
"It's exciting. I'm looking forward to that. We belong here, we've missed out and been frustrated by that."
Barcelona have won the tournament in three of the last four seasons, while they were beaten finalists in 2021-22, losing 3-1 to Lyon.
City last faced the Spanish giants in their last appearance in the competition, losing 4-2 on aggregate in the 2020-21 quarter-final before Barcelona went on to win their first Champions League.
Despite being knocked out, City did win 2-1 in the home leg in 2021. Of the team that played that day, only England team-mates Greenwood and Chloe Kelly remain at the club.
"I don't remember it clearly, but I do remember the game," said Greenwood.
"Our team has changed so much since then. The way we prepare is different, we look different now and are a lot more prepared."
One familiar face who could line up against Manchester City on Wednesday is Keira Walsh, who moved from them to Barcelona for a then world-record transfer fee of approximately £400,000 in September 2022.
"I could speak about Keira all day, she’s an incredible footballer," said Greenwood.
"What she does off the ball and on the ball, she's an incredible player. She's improved and added assists to her game, hopefully not tomorrow!"
Meanwhile, Gareth Taylor believes his club are about to face the biggest challenge they possibly could.
"I would say they are the best team in the world, especially over the period of the last four or five years," he said.
"Barcelona have really dominated this last three-year period. In terms of that taking the pressure off us, not at all. We've worked tremendously hard to be here.
"The cream always rises to the top. We want to see the best players on the best stage and this is what it is."
The Numbers Game: Carsley aims to stake claim for permanent England job
England have made a bright start to life without Gareth Southgate, putting in impressive displays to win both of their Nations League openers against Republic of Ireland and Finland in September.
With a permanent replacement still yet to be announced for the national team, Lee Carsley will again be in the dugout this week aiming to maintain his 100% record.
With the aim to gain promotion back to League A, Carsley is set to come up against his toughest test yet given that England are not in the driving seat in their current group.
Greece sit above them in the table, with a superior goal difference and are on a three-match winning streak in all competitions.
But having disappointed in their previous Nations League campaign, England will be determined to put things right and avoid a slip-up in front of the home fans.
Using Opta data, we delve into the key talking points ahead of Thursday's clash at Wembley.
What's expected?
The Three Lions put on an attacking show against Ireland and Finland, having a collective total of 38 shots and accumulating 4.3 expected goals (xG) across both matches.
So it is perhaps no surprise that England are favourites going into this one, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 75.1% chance of victory.
Greece, on the other hand, are only given a 10.2% chance of causing an upset, while the likelihood of getting a draw sits at 14.6%.
History is certainly on England's side as they have never lost any of their nine meetings with Greece in all competitions (W7 D2), keeping a clean sheet in seven of those matches.
Greece have, however, drawn their last two competitive away matches against England, most recently 2-2 in a World Cup qualifier in October 2001. They led that match twice before David Beckham's famous 90th-minute free-kick sent the Three Lions to the 2002 World Cup.
Staking his claim
Carsley isn't keen to answer questions about his long-term future with England, but he is certainly doing his chances of getting the full-time job no harm.
In fact, he is aiming to be the first England manager to win his first three competitive matches in charge since Fabio Capello in October 2008. If the team can keep another clean sheet, he will be the first ever to do so without conceding.
The interim manager also has some familiar faces available again after illness and injury prevented Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham from linking up with the squad last time around.
Palmer has started the Premier League season in scintillating form, with six goals to his name already.
Since his Chelsea debut last September, he has been involved in more goals in the competition than any other player (44 – 28 goals, 16 assists), and he is surely pushing for just his third England start.
Carsley could go with Bellingham for this game though, which would move him outright second for the most England appearances before turning 22 (currently 36, level with Marcus Rashford), after Wayne Rooney (40).
While England's attack is often the main focus, Carsley's defensive record is nothing to be dismissed. At the 2023 U21 Euros, his side did not concede a single goal, and he has carried that record into the senior team, albeit only facing eight shots across the first two matches.
Kyle Walker provides a welcome boost at the back as he returns to the squad and, if he is given the nod at right-back in this game, he will have made the joint-fifth most appearances for England at Wembley (currently 37).
He would have to unseat Trent Alexander-Arnold for that to happen, with the Liverpool right-back having created five chances against Finland. That is the third time he has created five or more chances in an England game since the start of 2019, with no other player doing so on more than one occasion.
Top of the pile
England may have won 16 of their last 21 competitive outings on home soil (D2 L3), including each of the last five, but Greece will certainly be no pushovers.
After three seasons in League C, they managed to gain promotion and have taken to their new league with consecutive wins to top the table.
Since the inaugural Nations League in 2018-19, no team has won more games in the competition than Greece (W13 D3 L4).
They also boast the best defensive record in the tournament's history, conceding the fewest goals (eight) and keeping the most clean sheets (14).
Greece are, however, winless in their last 12 matches against nations in the top five of the FIFA rankings (D6 L6) - a run that stretches back to a 1-0 win over France en route to their Euro 2004 title.
Having drawn 2-2 against France in November 2023 - their most recent fixture against any team currently in the top five - there is a small body of evidence of their ability to compete against the best.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
England – Harry Kane
England captain Harry Kane has scored 26 goals in 26 competitive home appearances for the Three Lions, scoring in each of his last six such outings (nine goals).
Only Steve Bloomer (1895-1899) and Wayne Rooney (2012-2015) have ever scored in seven straight competitive home games for the nation. Having scored twice against Finland last time out in the Nations League, he will be keen to keep his run going.
Greece – Fotis Ioannidis
Only Slovenia's Benjamin Sesko (four) scored more goals than Fotis Ioannidis (three) across the opening two matchdays of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League.
He has also scored five goals in his last six international appearances. But Ioannidis is a major doubt for this fixture, having hobbled off just before half-time for Panathinaikos against Olympiacos on Sunday.
Netherlands legend Neeskens dies aged 73
Netherlands and Ajax legend Johan Neeskens has passed away at the age of 73, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has announced.
Neeskens played a key role in the Ajax and Netherlands teams credited with popularising "total football" in the 1970s, playing alongside Johan Cruyff for club and country.
Neeskens scored 17 goals in 49 appearances for his nation, helping them reach two World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978, only for West Germany and Argentina to beat them in those showpiece matches.
The midfielder scored the opening goal from the penalty spot in the first of those finals, only for goals from Paul Breitner and Gerd Muller to hand West Germany their second title.
He also helped Ajax win back-to-back Eredivisie crowns in 1971-72 and 1972-73, as well as three straight European Cups in 1971, 1972 and 1973, a feat that has only been replicated by Bayern Munich (1974 to 1976) and Real Madrid (2016 to 2018) since then.
Neeskens followed Cruyff and coach Rinus Michels to Barcelona in 1974, winning the Copa del Rey and the European Cup Winners' Cup in five seasons at Camp Nou.
A KNVB statement released on Monday read: "The KNVB was deeply saddened to learn of the unexpected death of Johan Neeskens.
"Johan was one of our greatest. We will miss him tremendously. We wish his wife Marlis, his children Christian, Tamara, Bianca and Armand, his grandchildren Djoy and Lovee, relatives and friends much strength in bearing this great loss. Rest in peace, Johan."
Following his retirement, Neeskens had a spell as the Netherlands' assistant manager under Guus Hiddink and Frank Rijkaard, also assisting the latter at Barcelona from 2006 to 2008.
He also spent four years in charge of Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen, leading them to UEFA Cup qualification via a fifth-placed league finish in 2002-03.
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