( CNN ) -- Brazil 's 3-0 win over Spain in the Confederations Cup final brought to an end an event that was designed as a test run for the 2014 World Cup hosts . It was a tournament that was permeated by social unrest , with protesters partly unhappy over the degree of public money devoted to the staging of the World Cup . CNN looks at five things we learned from the event . 1 . Neymar is the real deal . Neymar has been touted as the latest in a line of Brazilian superstars that stretches all the way back to the great Pele , but outside Brazil many were beginning to believe the hype surrounding the young star was just that . Prior to the Confederations Cup his performances for the national team had been lacklustre , particular in the 2-2 draw against Chile in April , when he was singled out for jeers by Brazil 's own fans . While most would argue that he 's in no position to judge , Marseille midfielder Joey Barton 's Tweet likening Neymar to Justin Bieber , and something rather unpleasant relating to cats , seemed to sum up the views of many European observers . Following the Brazilian 's $ 75 million transfer to Barcelona -- just before the tournament kicked off -- some were even suggesting the Catalan club had been fleeced by Brazilian side Santos . Not any more : this was no tantalizing glimpse of what La Liga fans might be watching next season , it was incontrovertible proof of what Neymar can bring . The 21-year-old produced a string of vibrant , flamboyant , but above all effective performances throughout the tournament , his goals and guile serving notice that he is every inch a superstar . 2 . Time may be up for Buffon and company . After winning friends at Euro 2012 , the Azzurri continued to show that the days of `` catenaccio '' are long gone , with some fast attacking football . Italy 's run in the tournament was certainly invigorating , lurching from near disaster in an extraordinary first-half capitulation against Japan , to a sublime ( albeit goalless ) first-half domination of Spain . In the end they were well worth their third place , but it could and possibly should have been more . Gianluigi Buffon is widely and justifiably regarded as one of the world 's finest goalkeepers ; yet his penalty saves in the third place play-off against Uruguay masked his culpability in goals conceded at key moments in the tournament . This was not the dominant , steely-eyed Buffon of old -- particularly against Brazil , where he looked anything but solid . Likewise , there are other old hands whose time in the famous blue shirt may be nearing its end . Given Cesare Prandelli 's reluctance to start AC Milan 's exciting midfielder Stephan El Shaarawy , major surgery is unlikely . The Italian national side has always been resistant to change , as its ageing spine suggests , but it may need to pick up the pace of its evolution . The likes of Buffon and the peerless Andrea Pirlo may have one more big tournament in them , but Prandelli would do well to blood some fresh talent in the meantime , just in case -- especially given the physical demands next year 's World Cup will present . 3 . Protests are a wake-up call to FIFA and Brazil . For a country that is synonymous with football , there were times during this tournament when Brazil seemed to have fallen well and truly out of love with the game -- or at least , with FIFA and the Brazilian government 's interpretation of what a World Cup should look like . As simmering social unrest threatened to boil into something more serious , the tournament 's detractors grew in volume and number . Even former star striker Romario joined a critical chorus that cited ticket prices , infrastructure costs and a questionable legacy as reasons why the Confederations Cup , and next year 's World Cup , were bad for Brazil . In anticipation of trouble , a reported 10,000 police were on duty in Rio de Janeiro ahead of Brazil 's clash with Spain , but in the end protests were relatively low-key . Following their team 's emphatic triumph over the world and European champions , crowds spilled out onto the street and into a carnival atmosphere . Clearly this story is not over , and there is much work to do ; for now , however , football 's primacy has been restored . In fact there was much cause for optimism on the pitch . This was a well-deserved win from a team that looks to be gaining in stature , and the atmosphere inside the Maracana for the final was profoundly imposing . Of course Brazil won the 2009 Confederations Cup before limping out in the quarterfinals in South Africa ; but this time they will be at home . The World Cup will be a tougher test ; but do n't bet against them . 4 . Spain needs a re-boot . Finally , after a seemingly interminable period of dominance , Spain 's champions look to have been found out . For clues as to how , it is hard to see beyond the Germans . Italy really should have beaten the Spaniards after playing them off the park for significant chunks of their semi-final ; Brazil 's 3-0 defeat of the world champions was a muscular and ruthless final execution . Both owed much to the approaches of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in their UEFA Champions League defeats of Barcelona and Real Madrid . Spain were hustled and hassled , with attempts to impose their intricate passing game met by fiercely committed opponents , closing them down until the Europeans simply folded . Fernando Torres only won the golden boot because of his goals against Tahiti 's part-timers . Xavi and Iniesta are still fabulously creative , but elsewhere Spain 's weak links were exploited with a kind of physicality this team now seems incapable of countering . Drained of confidence , or possibly just appetite , they looked listless and in dire need of fresh ideas . The sight of a defender , Sergio Ramos , taking a penalty that could have brought them back into the final spoke volumes . True Brazil had had an extra day of rest before the final , but the mask of invincibility has slipped ; Spain has 12 months to work out how to set it back in place . 5 . The Confederations Cup comes of age . In theory at least , the Confederations Cup is the unloved second cousin of the World Cup , the Euros and the Copa America . Traditionally these games are seen by the cynics as little more than jumped up exhibition matches -- a mere aperitif before the main meal of the World Cup . By and large , no one really cares who wins . This time , however , something seemed to click . Maybe it was the location . Brazil may have some serious issues to confront , but there is something about the host country that elevated this tournament onto a different plane . In football terms , this is about as educated as any crowd can get . The enthusiastic way in which local fans adopted teams such as Japan , Uruguay , Tahiti and Italy conveyed atmosphere and meaning to fixtures where normally none would exist , and more than made up for the absence of traveling support . The outcome , for the neutrals at least , was first class entertainment . Brazil 2013 served up some of the most memorable international games of recent memory , played in front of passionate crowds in some spectacular arenas . If Brazil 2014 can pick up where this rehearsal left off , then we are truly in for a treat .
Brazil beat Spain 3 - 0 in Confederations Cup final . Brazilian striker Neymar named as the best player of World Cup . Games marred by protests over staging of 2014 World Cup in Brazil .