On June 12, 2014, the eyes of the world descended upon the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo as hosts Brazil opened the 2014 FIFA World Cup against a formidable Croatia side. The emotional weight of the tournament was palpable from the pre-match anthems, but the home crowd was stunned into silence in the 11th minute when Marcelo inadvertently deflected Ivica Olić's low cross into his own net, gifting Croatia an early lead.
Led by talisman Neymar, the Seleção responded with ferocity. In the 29th minute, Neymar collected the ball in midfield, drove forward through the Croatian lines, and unleashed a pin-point 25-yard left-footed drive that kissed the inside of the post to level the match at 1-1.
The decisive turning point arrived in the 71st minute when Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura awarded a controversial penalty for a foul on Fred by Dejan Lovren. Neymar stepped up to squeeze the spot-kick past Stipe Pletikosa to give Brazil the lead, before midfielder Oscar produced a breathtaking 91st-minute toe-poke finish from the edge of the area to seal a memorable 3-1 triumph.
The victory ignited Brazil's tournament campaign and established Neymar as the undisputed focal point of Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad, kicking off one of the most goal-rich and entertaining World Cup tournaments in modern history.