Neymar on Zúñiga's challenge: 'If it had been another 2 centimeters I could be in a wheelchair'

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, a tearful Neymar detailed just how close he came to paralysis following Juan Camilo Zúñiga's reckless challenge on him in the quarterfinal match between Brazil and Colombia.

"If it had been another two centimetres I could be in a wheelchair today," Neymar said.

The Brazilian superstar, who thankfully only suffered a fractured third vertebrae, and is recovering "very well" at his home, also feared paralysis in the initial moments after acquiring the injury. Luiz Felipe Scolari recently revealed that Neymar said he couldn't feel his legs as he was carried off the pitch on a stetcher.

Zúñiga has since apologized to Neymar, insisting "there was no bad intention, malice, or negligence" and saying he was "deeply sorry and sad" for ending the 22-year-old's World Cup campaign. But despite the apology, Neymar still isn't sure what the Colombian right-back was thinking when he made the challenge.

"I don't hate him," Neymar said. "I don't hold a grudge. But I don't feel anything. 

"It's difficult to talk about a move that ended up happening in such an important moment of my career.

"I won't say he came to injury me. I don't know what was going on in his head but everyone who understands football can see that it wasn't a normal challenge."

In addition to escaping without a yellow card, Zúñiga also went unpunished by FIFA as football's governing body claimed the incident was dealt with on the pitch by referee Carlos Velasco Carballo.

Thursday also saw Neymar return to the Seleção's training base in the mountainous city of Teresopolis, where the team is preparing for a third-place match against the Netherlands that they surely have little interest in playing.