What they said: Memorable quotes from the World Cup!

From Luis Suarez’s bite to commenting on Brazil’s big loss in the semi-final, everyone had their two-bit to share.

Here is a selection of the best quotes from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

On the Brazil-Germany semi-final…

"I'm going to be remembered probably because I lost 7-1, the worst defeat in Brazil's history, but that was a risk I knew I was running when I walked into this position."

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

"What was that? Hard to believe."

Former West Germany World Cup winning captain and coach Franz Beckenbauer.

"We witnessed a collective implosion of Brazil. A total collapse of their team tonight. I don’t know what the lads from Brazil were carrying on their shoulders. They weren’t able to come to terms with that. In these pictures you keep seeing them crying, before the match or after the match. This team didn’t have enough experience to come to terms with the pressure of a big tournament like this in their own country. They fell apart emotionally today, completely.

Former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

"In nigh on half a century of watching football, that's the most extraordinary, staggering, bewildering game I've ever witnessed."

Former England striker Gary Lineker.

"I didn't like Brazil from the start, but I didn't think Germany were going to be so imposing, so devastating, so decisive."

Diego Maradona.

- 

Also Read

Quote Hanger: 'You can't explain the inexplicable'

- Complete coverage of the Football World Cup...

- ...

On Luis Suarez biting Giorgio Chiellini…

"We were both just there inside the area. He shoved me with his shoulder, and my eye got left like that also."

Suarez said after the match in reference to Chiellini's mark.

"Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field."

FIFA said in a statement upon delivering their World Cup record four month ban from all football and nine international match suspension. 

"Everyone knows what they've done to Luis. They wanted him out of the World Cup. Perfect, they did it. They chucked him out of there like a dog,"

Suarez's grandmother told Reuters after the ban was announced.

"They can't forgive Uruguay that a son of the people has eliminated two of football's big nations, so they invented a whole case."

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro said after Uruguay knocked out England and Italy.

"Who did Suarez kill? This is football, this is contact... They may as well handcuff him and bring him to Guantanamo directly."

Maradona was unhappy with the length of the ban.

- 

More related stories:

World Cup: 'Cannibal' Suarez charged by FIFA for biting Chiellini

Psychologists analyse Suarez's 'teething' problems

World Cup Talking Point: The dark side of genius Suarez

Heard the latest Suarez jokes? Here they are...

5 infamous World Cup offences and their punishments!

Bite set to eat into Suarez's sponsorship cash

- Complete coverage of the Football World Cup...

- ...

"It was a decision much more focused on the opinions of the media who at the conclusion of the match, and at the press conference afterwards focused on just one topic. I don't know what their nationality was - but they all spoke English."

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez was unhappy with the English media who wrote heavily about Suarez.

"He should go for a treatment."

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke offered some advice for Suarez.

"There's no feelings of joy, revenge or anger against Suarez for an incident that happened on the pitch and that's done. My only thought is for Luis and his family, because they will face a very difficult period."

Chiellini feared for Suarez after the ban.

"The truth is that my colleague Giorgio Chiellini suffered the physical result of a bite in the collision he suffered with me."

Suarez finally admits his guilt.

- Complete coverage of the Football World Cup...

- ...

On Neymar injury...

"God blessed me. If it had been another two centimetres I could be in a wheelchair today."

Neymar said, breaking down in tears. 

"It was a very violent, unlawful tackle. It was an evil tackle."

Former Brazil striker Ronaldo.

"In my opinion, it was a cowardly tackle. I'm a defender and you don't do that."

Brazil captain Thiago Silva.

"When a team loses a player of such great qualities, it’s as if football has shed a tear."

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella.

"I was not thinking of hurting him. I was defending my country´s colours."

Zuniga said in his defence.

- 

More Related Stories

World Cup: Injured Neymar receives support from football world

World Cup chit-chat: Broken Neymar still dreams of being champion

- Complete coverage of the Football World Cup...

- ...

On Lionel Messi…

"Messi could be the best player in the world -- if he was human."

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz after the little magician came up with a 91st minute winner to down the Asians.

"Thank God El Enano (the Dwarf) rubbed the lamp at the end."

Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero said of the late winner.

"Messi is one of heck of a player. He's blessed. There are good calibre players in the team but Messi is from Jupiter."

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi.

"When you have a player such as Messi, who never, or almost never, loses the ball, it’s water in the desert."

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella comparing him to an Oasis in the desert.

- 

Also Read

Have you met Lionel Messi's sexy girlfriend?

- Complete coverage of the Football World Cup...

- ...

Quotes in General…

"It was a crazy game. We could have scored five...oh right, we did score five, but we could have scored six, seven or eight."

Dutch striker Robin van Persie after their opening 5-1 thrashing of defending champions Spain.

"If we beat Costa Rica I want a kiss, obviously on the cheek, from the UK Queen."

Italy striker Mario Balotelli posted on Twitter. Unfortunately Balotelli failed to deliver as Costa Rica beat the Italians to eliminate England.

- Complete coverage of the Football World Cup...

- ...

"I would like to be 110 percent fit but I am 100 percent fit and that should be enough to help the national team."

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo attempted to ease fears about his troublesome knee injury.

"The Belgium defence, they're not all Ferraris there, you know. They have some Skodas too."

Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic offers his thoughts on Belgium before their 2-1 defeat.

- 

More Related Stories

Will Cristiano Ronaldo ever see World Cup glory?

- Complete coverage of the football World Cup 

-...

"When we arrived in Salvador, they told us not to go on the beach at one o'clock because of the sun's rays. If it's not good for you to go on the beach, how can it be good for you to play football at that time of day?"

Portugal coach Paulo Bento not happy about the scheduling before his side's midday kick-off against Ghana.

"What does it mean to play beautifully? What is important in the end is the result, to win the match with whatever style of play. We are not here to look at them (other teams). We are here to win ... The rest is literature."

Belgium coach Marc Wilmots offered after their Group H win over South Korea before switching tact after losing to Argentina in the quarter-finals.

"If I had played this way I would have been destroyed by the Belgian press. We were not impressed by the Argentines, absolutely not, it’s just an ordinary team."

Wilmots said after their loss to Argentina.

- Complete coverage of the football World Cup