Top 5 World Cup national anthem moments

The 2014 World Cup provided plenty of memorable moments on the pitch, but some of the tournament's most endearing scenes occurred before kickoff, during the ceremonial playing of each squad's national anthem.

There were tears, there were laughs, and there was plenty of singing. Here are five of the best national anthem moments from the last month in Brazil:

Julio Cesar can't contain himself

Playing for the host nation at the World Cup can be an emotional experience, especially if that nation is Brazil. Goalkeeper Julio Cesar felt it all ahead of the tournament's first match, letting loose with a few tears before Brazil faced Croatia.

Serey Die also cries

Cesar was not alone in the waterworks department. Ivory Coast midfielder Serey Die could not contain himself prior to the group stage match against Colombia. Rumors on Twitter suggested Die was crying for his father, who passed away hours before the match, but it was later revealed he died in 2004.

FIFA cuts Chilean anthem, fans finish it with gusto

In an effort to keep matches starting on time, FIFA made a habit out of cutting national anthems short, much to the chagrin of patriotic supporters. Not willing to be cut off, Chilean fans decided to take matters into their own hands ahead of their nation's group stage match against Spain, belting out the remaining bars of their anthem with enough enthusiasm to make anyone's spine tingle.

Tallest child stands in front of France's Mathieu Valbuena

The use of child "mascots" to accompany the players onto the pitch led to some (seemingly) inadvertent hilarity ahead of France's quarterfinal match against Germany, when the tallest child stood in front of diminutive French midfielder Mathieu Valbuena. Was this a coincidence, or some expert-level trolling by FIFA?

Brazilian teammates pay tribute to injured Neymar

Brazil faced Germany in the semifinals without Neymar, who suffered a serious injury in the quarterfinal victory over Colombia, but the electric forward was still a part of the national anthem thanks to his teammates. Cesar and David Luiz held up Neymar's jersey during the anthem in an inspiring display of solidarity.

Unfortunately, Brazil's performance on the pitch without Neymar was far less inspiring.