Ramires anxious ahead of opener

Midfielder Ramires said the pressure on Brazil to win their sixth FIFA World Cup is not affecting his team-mates.

Brazil are considered to be one of the favourites to lift the World Cup on home soil, which kicks off on Thursday when Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men face Croatia in Group A action in Sao Paulo.

The Chelsea man admitted there is some anxiety within the dressing room, but said Brazil are determined to make a ‘dream come true’ by winning their first World Cup since 2002, when they accounted for Germany in the final of the tournament held in South Korea/Japan.

“Of course we are very anxious to get to the first game. Of course, we have one more training session, and now it’s going to start,” Ramires told reporters.

“I think that this is everyone’s dream. All the players, all the technical and coaching staff, everyone that is involved with the national squad, it’s a dream.

“And now we’re close to making this dream come true, which is getting to the final and winning.”

Ramires added: “I think the question of winning is all the time. Every game that Brazil is going to play, we have the pressure to win games.

“So because of this we’re all quite anxious, all the players, I guess depending on their ages, but they’re all experienced, and they have worked through difficult times in their careers.”

Meanwhile, team-mate Luis Gustavo does not feel Brazil are reliant on Neymar after the star striker rolled his ankle in training on Monday.

“I believe that the national team is very well prepared to play with or without Neymar,” the Wolfsburg defender said.

“They are 23 well-qualified players that can go in and help and maybe it might change our style, but it’s not a question of playing better or worse.

“We do everything in our power with these 23 players, and, of course, if one day he isn’t well and needs to be substituted, of course whoever goes in will do whatever he can within his abilities and help us in the best way possible.”

Brazil will also come up against Mexico (June 17) and Cameroon (June 23) in Group A.