Confederations Cup: Neymar wins the best player award

Neymar

Brazil star Neymar won the accolade of best player at the Confederations Cup after his starring role in a competition which culminated in Sunday’s 3-0 stroll over Spain.

Neymar scored four goals, including one in the final, but his all-round play suggests he can live up the hype as potentially Brazil’s greatest star since Pele.

The silver ball award went to Andres Iniesta, who struggled in a Spanish midfield which never found its game in the final – the usually incisive Barcelona star and his teammates could not conjure their usual dominance and seemed to have left too much out on the turf in edging Italy on spotkicks in the semi-final.

Brazil midfielder Paulinho, who headed a semi-final winner against Uruguay, landed the bronze ball.

Fernando Torres netted another Spanish consolation prize as top scorer for the golden boot ahead of Brazilian duo Fred and Neymar.