Brazil won the World Cup without an injured Pele, and fans hope to do it again without Neymar

Brazil's Neymar grimaces in pain during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Brazil and Colombia at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil, Friday, July 4, 2014. (AP Photo/Fabrizio Bensch, pool) (The Associated Press)

CORRECTS YEAR OF CHILE WORLD CUP TO 1962 - FILE - This February 1962 file photo, shows Edson Arantes do Nascimento known as Pele, center, trainer Mario Americo, left, and Czech player Masopust. After Neymar's injury in this 2014 Soccer World Cup while playing against Colombia, Brazil remembers when Pele, its best player in the Chile 1962 World Cup was also sidelined because of injury in the tournament, and Brazil still won the title. (AP Photo/File) (The Associated Press)

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil – Brazil did it once without Pele, and just about everyone in the country is waiting and hoping to do it again without Neymar.

The Brazilians advanced to the semifinals of the World Cup last week, but they lost their best player in doing so. Neymar, the national team's star attraction with the same yellow No. 10 jersey that Pele made world famous, fractured a vertebra after being kneed in the back and will miss the rest of the tournament.

That means Brazil will have to do without Neymar when the team plays Germany in the semifinals on Tuesday at Mineirao Stadium. And for the final, if they make it that far.

Student Matheus Christoff says "in 1962, we won without Pele, so we can win without Neymar."