Neymar and his Brazil teammates dedicated the 4-1 World Cup victory over South Korea on Monday night to Pele after cruising into the quarter-finals.
In a dominant first-half display that saw goals from Vinicius Junior, Neymar, Richarlison, and Lucas Paqueta - and another couple of clear chances go begging - Brazil had all-but confirmed their place in the last eight in Qatar before the interval.
South Korea were vastly improved in the second half as Paik Seung-ho scored a stunning consolation but it was far too little too late, with Brazil advancing to face Croatia, who had earlier edged past Japan on penalties.
Following the match at Stadium 974 in Doha, the Brazil players unfurled a huge banner to the 82-year-old Pele, one of the greatest players of all time who is in poor health as he undergoes colon cancer treatment.
"It's hard to talk about what Pele is going through right now but I wish him all the best," said Neymar, who made his return from an ankle injury to play most of the game and scored the second goal from the penalty spot.
"I hope he will be back in good health as soon as possible and that we could have at least comforted him with the victory."
Pele's battle with colon cancer is providing motivation for the players to try to win a record-extending sixth world title – the first three of which Pele was part of.
"He needs a lot of strength from us and this victory is for him, so that he can come out of this situation and that we can be champions for him," said Vinicius.
Neymar's return gave Brazil a huge boost and they were on fire right from the first minute.
His 13th-minute penalty took the Paris Saint-Germain forward to within one goal of Pele's record 77 strikes for Brazil. But he admitted there had been moments after he was injured in Brazil's opening World Cup match against Serbia that he thought his tournament might be over.
"When I got injured I spent a very difficult night. I was thinking of a million different things," said Neymar, who added he had been "crying a lot".
"I was afraid of not being able to play in this World Cup again but I had the support of all my teammates and my family who gave me strength."
Richarlison paid tribute to the team's talisman, saying Neymar's presence on the pitch makes the game easier for everyone else.
"I'm very happy about the return of Neymar. On the pitch he drags away two or three players creating space for the others," said Richarlison, who now has three goals in the tournament.
Brazil v South Korea player ratings
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BRAZIL RATINGS: Alisson Becker - 9: Super diving save after 16 minutes – and that was all in a one-sided first half. Another top save with his left shoulder straight after half time. And a third top save after 69. Finally beaten by a deflection for South Korea’s goal. One of the best goalkeepers in the world. Getty -
Eder Militao - 7. Brought off as a precaution since another yellow would have meant he missed the next game. Solid. AFP -
Marquinhos - 7. Really hard-working. Quick reaction to pass in the set-up for the third. He was in the South Korea area at the time. He and Thiago Silva are central defenders. AP -
Thiago Silva - 8. Sublime pass for the third. He was in an attacking position as he became, at 38, the oldest player to assist in this World Cup. Hit long balls and intercepted. The shot for South Korea’s goal deflected off him. Getty -
Danilo - 7. Enjoying his football and one of many brilliant Brazilians in the first half in front of 43,847. South Korea were totally overawed. Croatia will be tougher opponents in the last eight. Reuters -
Casemiro - 8. His ball to Paqueta started the move for the third. Screened the back four. Neymar recently said: “Casemiro has been the best midfielder in the world for a long time.” We’re seeing why in this tournament. No goals, no assists, no brilliant Brazil without him. AFP -
Paqueta - 9. Chosen ahead of Fred, the West Ham midfielder was involved in the third and scored the fourth, his first goal in the World Cup finals. Defended well when needed. Made three key passes. Getty -
Raphinha - 8. Blitzed Hwang In-beom on the right before playing a ball towards Neymar after 7. He missed but Vinicius was waiting for it. Missed a chance on 45 when he should have gone for the ball with his head. Always a danger on the right and should have scored from one of his five shots, but his best game yet for his country. Getty -
Neymar - 8. Back with a bang. Placed the second, a 13th-minute penalty, after teasing the goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu in his run up, waiting until he’d fallen to his knees before taking his shot. His 76th goal for Brazil – only one behind Pele’s record. Worked hard throughout. AFP -
Vinicius - 8. Beautiful finish after stopping a ball from Raphinha to put Brazil ahead. Lifted a ball to Paqueta to score the fourth – the first time Brazil have scored four in the first half of a World Cup match since 1954. EPA -
Richarlison - 9. Won the early penalty after being kicked. Scored the third after 29. He’s doing enough to be a first-choice starter in the team who are favourites to win the World Cup. Getty -
SUBS: Dani Alves (On for Militao 63') - 7. Brazil’s most decorated player was fine, aged 39. Brings experience and good vibes. Volleyed wide. Getty -
Gabriel Martinelli (On for Vinicius Junior 72') - 6. Going to be hard for him to get into the starting XI. Reuters -
Bremer (On for Danilo 72') - 6. Another good use of his squad by coach as all five substitutes were used. Getty -
Weverton (On for Alisson 80') - 6. Brazil’s third-choice goalkeeper was the final player of the squad to get minutes in this World Cup. All 26 have now played. AP -
Rodrygo (On for Neymar 81') N/A. Shows the incredible strength in depth for this Brazil side. Reuters -
SOUTH KOREA RATINGS: Kim Seung-gyu - 4. The first two goals were particularly cringeworthy for the keeper but aside from that, he did manage to make a handful of strong saves. AFP -
Kim Moon-hwan - 4. Was left watching for the third goal and often looked panicky whenever the ball came near his orbit. Getty -
Kim Min-jae - 4. The kindest word for his display would be ‘slow’ as he failed to keep up with the tempo he was being presented with. AP -
Kim Young-gwon - 5. Went missing on several occasions despite some good distribution across the first half hour or so. EPA -
Kim Jin-su - 4. Made a poorly timed challenge for the opener before being lost at sea for two of the remaining Brazilian goals. EPA -
Lee Jae-sung - 5. Got forward well despite taking a bit too much time to make a final decision when faced with opponents. AP -
Jung Woo-young - 4. Between a terribly timed tackle for the penalty and a lethargic attitude for the fourth, it was a poor day at the office for Jung. AP -
Hwang In-beom - 4. Looked weak under pressure from Richarlison and couldn’t get going in the middle of the park. AFP -
Hwang Hee-chan - 7. An inspiring performance from the Wolves’ star forward with a string of big chances to go alongside his fantastic work rate. AP -
Cho Gue-sung - 5. Struggled and wasn’t really able to use his height and physicality to his advantage. AFP -
Son Heung-min - 6. The talisman got stuck in and did the best he could under difficult circumstances against the juggernaut of Brazil. EPA -
SUBS: Hong Chul (On for Kim 46') - 5: While he tracked his man well upon coming on, Chul was sent for a ride many times when in one-on-one situations. AFP -
Son Jun-ho (On for Jung 46') - 6. Although he was slow to work up to the pace of the game, Son was still effective when entering the final third. Getty -
Paik Seung-ho (On for Hwang 65') - 7. Fine strike earned deserved consolation goal for his side. AFP -
Lee Kang-in (On for Lee 74') - 6. A decent ball that, technically, led to an assist for the goal added up to a solid enough cameo for Lee. Reuters -
Hwang Ui-jo (On for Cho 80') - N/A. PA
"Neymar provides a competitive advantage, he makes the difference on the pitch – he's the driving force," added assistant coach Cesar Sampaio.
Richarlison also praised coach Tite's decision to rest almost the entire first team in their last group stage match, a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon after their progress to the knock-out stages was already secure.
"We played with intensity from the first minute and that was because we rested a part of the team in the last match, so you have to give credit to the boss," said the Tottenham Hotspur forward.
Tite's changes meant he has now given the entire 26-man squad some action at the tournament, with even third-choice goalkeeper Weverton playing the last 10 minutes against Korea.
"The game was practically over when I came on, but no goalkeeper likes to concede a goal," Weverton said.
