Brazil attracting attention of Messi – Neymar

Neymar said Brazil are attracting the attention of Argentina captain Lionel Messi and many more players amid their winning streak.

Brazil have won eight consecutive games since Tite replaced Dunga following last year’s Copa America Centenario to sit atop the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings.

Neymar was on target as Brazil routed Uruguay 4-1 in last week’s top-of-the-table clash to open a seven-point advantage and the 25-year-old revealed his Barcelona team-mate is impressed.

“Not only his [Lionel Messi] attention. The Brazilian team has been attracting the attention of many people, because we are a team that has played really good football,” Neymar told reporters.

“We are a team that marks well, that comes out playing, that try to play good football. When you find a good team with this quality, who wants to play football, it’s hard to beat it.

“That’s what’s catching everyone’s attention.”

Brazil are back in action on the road to Russia 2018, playing host to Paraguay in Sao Paulo on Tuesday.

Neymar will wear the armband for the fixture and head coach Tite heaped praise on the Brazilian star, who stepped down as skipper after leading the country to a gold medal at the Rio Olympics last year.

“He deserves to be the captain,” Tite said. “He’s a technical leader.

“He’s a boy that has come with a certain maturity with a series of pressure sometimes that aren’t human.”