Brazil’s wonder boy Neymar has described tonight’s final of the 2013 Confederations Cup against World Cup holders Spain at the Estadio do Maracana in Rio De Janeiro as a dream come true.

“I was really looking forward to a final against Spain, and I don’t think I am the only one. We have the chance to test ourselves against the best team in the world and the defending world champions,” said Neymar, who has been instrumental to Brazil reaching this stage of the competition.

“We feel a mixture of respect and admiration for our opponents, but we need to impose ourselves and play our game,” added Neymar, who scored in the first three games and had a hand in the two goals in the 2-1 semi-final win over Uruguay.

Speaking ina a similar vein, Spain’s head coach Vincente Del Bosque described the final as a dream game.

His said: “We are going to face up to them. We have to put on a show and make it a good advertisement for football. Brazil have won five World Cups and three Confederations Cups and they will be playing at the Maracana in front of their own fans.

“For us it is a dream game. Come Sunday, a new chapter will begin, we will start all-square and see who seizes the initiative.”

The last time that both sides faced each other at the Marcana in Brazil was 63 years ago, with Brazil winning 6-1.

Brazil won both of the two previous editions of the Confederations Cup in Germany and South Africa.
Spain, on the other hand, qualified for their first ever final appearance with a 7-6 penalty shootout win over Italy. The current World and European champions are eager to add the Confederations Cup to their trophy cabinet.

In the third place match just decided at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Italy avoided the fate that befell them in the semis against Spain by beating hard-fighting Uruguay via penalty shootouts after an energy-sapping 120 minutes that ended 2-2. The match hero was goalie Buffon, who stopped three of the kicks.

•Photo shows Neymar.

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