A visibly emotional Neymar announced that his international career with Brazil has “ended” following the team’s World Cup elimination after a defeat against Norway in the round of 16 on Sunday.
The 34-year-old striker netted a late penalty goal as Brazil fell 2-1, with Erling Haaland scoring both goals for Norway. This defeat marks Brazil’s earliest exit from the World Cup since 1990.
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After the final whistle at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Neymar fell to the ground in tears and was comforted by his teammates.
“I tried, I tried. Now, it’s over,” he shared with Globo. “I started here; I finished here.”
Neymar made his debut for Brazil in August 2010 at MetLife Stadium, where he also scored his first international goal against the United States.
He concludes his international career as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 80 goals, surpassing Pelé by three.
His stoppage-time goal on Sunday made him just the second Brazilian man, alongside Pelé, to score in four different World Cups. With 130 caps for his country, he ranks second behind Cafu (142) on Brazil’s all-time appearances list.
Due to a persistent right calf injury, Neymar participated in only two of Brazil’s five matches in the tournament, playing 15 minutes against Scotland in the group stage and coming off the bench in the 67th minute against Norway.
Having been Brazil’s standout player for over a decade, injuries in recent years have hindered his effectiveness on the field. The national team is now transitioning to a new generation of talent.
“What I say is that we will continue to do our work and seek new ideas,” commented Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti in the post-match press conference. “This is what we have been doing this year.”
“It is a disappointing result, and we are all saddened by it,” he added. “However, this was a great group, and I want to thank my players for their hard work. I don’t think we deserved to lose, but we must accept it.”
“That’s football for you; sometimes, you have to cope with the sorrow and bitter taste of defeat. I’m accustomed to that, but we will take this loss as motivation for the new cycle ahead.
Everyone is deeply affected by this, including the fans, which is a natural response. What we need to do now is to react appropriately.”
Report contributed by ESPN’s Mark Ogden and The Associated Press.