The Real Madrid goalkeeper says the Barcelona forward is “a great player” but is warning his team-mates against underestimating the Selecao’s other stars
Spain captain Iker Casillas has dismissed the suggestion Brazil are a one-man team, arguing there is more to their Confederations Cup final opponents than just Neymar.
The Barcelona forward has been one of the stars of the tournament, winning three successive man of the match awards in the group stages before also playing a key role in the Selecao‘s semi-final success over Uruguay.
However, Casillas believes Spain would be making a huge mistake if they concentrated their attention solely on stopping Neymar.
“He is a great player but there are more great players in Brazil,” the Real Madrid goalkeeper told reporters. “We should not focus only on Neymar.
“Brazil have shown a very strong strength in depth in this tournament and have scored many goals. They have the stage, the fans and the team to compete against us.”
However, while Casillas is excited about what he views as a meeting between the tournament’s top two teams, he does not believe the pair will necessarily meet in another final in 12 months’ time.
“The World Cup is a different competition to the Confederations Cup,” the 32-year-old added. “It has nothing to do with this tournament.
“But this is a dream final that everyone wanted to see.”
Spain’s clash with tournament hosts Brazil at the Maracana in Rio is scheduled to get under way at 00:00CET.