Brazil brought in Filipe Luis at left back for their World Cup last 16 encounter with Mexico with regular starter Marcelo failing to fully recover from a back injury.

They were one of the three suspect heavyweights going into the final matchday of the group stages, but five-time champions Brazil moved to the round of 16 with flying colours, defeating Serbia 2-0 at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow yesterday.

Whew! What a relief Friday night offered to fans of two Latin American football powerhouses -- Brazil and Argentina -- in Bangladesh and beyond.

Brazil's squad arrive in Russia with their star Neymar seemingly recovered from a broken foot bone as they begin their quest to win a sixth World Cup.

Neymar scored on his return to action after three months out through injury as Brazil warmed up for the World Cup with a 2-0 friendly win over Croatia at Anfield

"It's going to take a bit more time for this fear to go away, but I'm ready to play. Nothing can stop me from doing so," Neymar said.

Former Barcelona midfielder Ronaldinho, who won the World Cup, Champions League, Copa Libertadores and World Player of the Year award, is retiring from the game, his brother and agent Assis says.

A rejuvenated Brazil looking to heal the wounds of home soil humiliation four years ago will lead the South American charge for the World Cup in 2018, but a slew of European powerhouses stand in the way of redemption in Russia.

When Japarupi Waiapi looks into the dense foliage of the Amazon rainforest, he sees the equivalent of a supermarket, pharmacy, furniture store -- and that's just the beginning.

Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar is delighted to see his friend and former teammate Lionel Messi make it to the World Cup.

Former Brazil star Roberto Carlos is set to be sent to prison for theree months due to delaying the payment of alimony for his two children, Madrid based Marca reports.

Brazilian hero Ronaldinho, will play two exhibition matches in Pakistan this weekend in hopes of attracting more players from the cricket-mad country, media reports say.

Brazil coach Tite on Friday recalled Chelsea defender David Luiz to his squad for two upcoming friendlies despite his team having secured nine wins in nine games without him.

Neymar and several other top Brazilian players have been left out of the national squad for friendlies next month against Argentina and Australia, coach Tite said yesterday, giving them a long summer break for the first time since 2013.

Vinicius Junior, the latest soccer sensation from Brazil, joined up with the Flamengo first team squad for the first time on Thursday ahead of an expected big-money move to Real Madrid.

The Copa America is likely to be expanded to 16 teams when it next takes place in Brazil in 2019, South American soccer's governing body said on Wednesday.

Five-times world champions Brazil have returned to what they will consider their rightful place at the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in seven years.

Brazil recovered from conceding an early goal to beat Uruguay 4-1 in Montevideo on Thursday, with Paulinho grabbing a hat-trick in a win that all but cemented their place at next year's World Cup finals.

Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino will replace Gabriel Jesus in the Brazil team to play Uruguay in Thursday's crunch World Cup qualifier, coach Tite said on Wednesday.

Veteran forward Diego Souza was called up to replace injured Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus as Brazil made three changes to their squad for upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Paraguay on Friday.