Brazilian legend Ronaldo has insisted that present day hero Neymar can handle the pressure of the nation as he tries to inspire them to a home World Cup victory.

The Barcelona star has been dubbed the poster boy of the 2014 tournament and has been a talisman for Brazil, scoring four goals in four games to drag an under-performing Selecao through to the last eight.

Speaking ahead of Brazil's quarter-final with Colombia on Friday, Ronaldo is confident that "relaxed" Neymar, 22, will continue to thrive under the spotlight as the World Cup goes into its latter stages.

"I see Neymar and I don't think that he really thinks about the pressure," he told reporters.

"He's very calm, he's relaxed. He's just like a kid, just thinking about playing well and score goals, even if the pressure is so big. He is okay, he can handle it very well."

Ronaldo is the joint-leading scorer in World Cup history, having netted 15 goals between 1994 and 2006.