Neymar said Barcelona are “impossible” to defeat after Santos were demolished 4-0 in the Club World Cup final.
Barcelona 4-0 Santos (UK/US/ROI)
Two goals from Lionel Messi either side of strikes from Xavi and Cesc Fabregas provided a convincing victory for the European champions as Neymar and co were unable to make their mark.
“It’s impossible to stop Barcelona, but we are the second-best team in the world and for us that is a great reward,” Neymar said.
Santos coach Muricy Ramalho offered a similar assessment of a Barcelona side he deems “invincible”.
“Barcelona are the greatest team in the world,” he said. “No team can live with them. They’re unbeatable at the moment. Losing 4-0 to them is no disgrace.”
Pep Guardiola, who has now won 13 out of a possible 16 titles since taking charge at the Camp Nou, was delighted with the performance.
“My players were like artists,” Guardiola said. “Whatever they envisaged in their minds they were able to do on the pitch. It was an incredible performance.”
On his tactics, he added: “We try to control the midfield and exploit space. We wanted to suffocate the supply to Neymar, who we know is a dangerous player, and to Borges.
“There is no special secret to our success. I am just blessed to work with such terrific players who want to keep on winning. They deserve all the credit.”
Messi, who was named player of the tournament, added: “It’s beautiful to be world champions but it’s a team effort. We often play like that but because it was a final it seemed more beautiful.”