We hadn't understood that it was a gala evening because, even in the only non-air-conditioned stadium in Doha, we would have come with a tuxedo and a bow tie.
Leaves to be hot, as much as it is to see that.
What a recital, what desire, what joy to play.
Brazil has finally let go of the handbrake on its football.
South Korea will go home with their buttocks as red (4-1) as their jersey, but they couldn't do much about it.
Who would have resisted Thiago Silva's teammates when they are like this.
Taking the field for a sandbox where we play without calculation.
Admittedly, Croatia will surely be a less naive and rougher opponent than South Korea.
But the general impression left by Brazil is that of a car finally launched on the road to glory.
And by the best way: that of a football interpreted as a child's laughter.
With jerks of happiness that make you want to hug them.
The Auriverde have returned to what we no longer expected: promises of a golden future.
If their game is to be so shimmering now, we want to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve in Qatar.
With them, everything is better.
Certainly, the World Cup was entitled to the opening of the locks by Messi and the magic of the legs of Mbappé.
But this demonstration of the five-time world champions catapults them back to the first rank of the favorites.
Even Pelé was invited to the party
In this obstacle course of knockout matches, where the best sometimes slipped but did not fall, it was therefore up to Brazil to set off.
And he had chosen to leave from the entrance with his best pair of shoes.
The one that gives him grip and ensures that he goes faster than the others.
That of Neymar.
Tite had therefore not been bluffing.
His star's right ankle was well repaired.
Nice contrast with the 974 stadium which was living its last lights before being dismantled.
This enclosure, built with containers, hosted its last match of the World Cup, before being promised for demolition in a few weeks.
But it is South Korea that will quickly end up in pieces.
It only takes seven minutes for the first Brazilian thrust to pierce the fragile South Korean wall.
A center from Raphinha finds Vinicius at the far post who controls and scores (1-0, 7th).
Even if that doesn't weigh on the final result, it's a pity that Clément Turpin, who surely thought he was in L1, whistled a very severe penalty for a foul on Richarlison.
But Neymar accepts the gift and scores with finesse (2-0, 13th).
It's his seventh World Cup goal.
Only two from Mbappé.
We say that, we say nothing...
Now that the main thing is acquired, all that remains is to take out the carnival floats, wave the feathers and multiply the arabesques.
The star track is reopened.
After four header juggles and a magnificent three-way game with Marquinhos and Thiago Silva, Richarlison scored the best collective goal of the tournament (3-0, 29th).
In the process, the other peroxide of Brazil embarks his coach in his famous dance of the "pigeon", his nickname.
But the turkeys are the ones who thought that this Brazil was perhaps takeable.
A little more ?
Come on, it's good because it's Brazil.
A center from Vinicius is volleyed by the ex-Lyonnais Paqueta (4-0, 36th).
Present.
And Seung-Ho Paik's pretty volley to reduce the score (4-1, 76th) blends into the background.
It was football Happy Hour and it was the Seleção who invited the whole room.
Even Pelé, on a giant banner, was invited to the party.
And if, as is likely, she hasn't emptied her pockets, there should be three more performances by the magicians.