Neymar confirms exit from Brazil after World Cup exit to Norway
Neymar announced his retirement from international football after Brazil’s World Cup campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion with a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the round of 16. The 34-year-old brought the curtain down on a glittering 16-year international career after the final whistle, saying his journey with the Selecao was over.
The announcement came after an emotional night in New Jersey, where Brazil were stunned by Erling Haaland’s late brace despite Neymar scoring a stoppage-time penalty. After the defeat, an emotional Neymar admitted he had given everything to return to one World Cup final, but acknowledged his international story was now over.
“I tried and tried, but now it’s over,” Neymar said.
“This is where I started and this is where I ended.
The defeat marked a painful end to a tournament that had already tested Neymar physically. After arriving at the World Cup injured, he missed Brazil’s opening games before gradually working his way back into Carlo Ancelotti’s plans. However, even after regaining fitness, the Brazilian superstar was largely used from the bench, coming on as a substitute against Scotland and Norway.
His last goal for Brazil came from the penalty spot deep in stoppage time against Norway, but it proved to be a consolation as the five-time world champions crashed out of the tournament.
A CAREER THAT REDEFINED A GENERATION
Neymar leaves as Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer among men, finishing with 80 goals in 129 international appearances after making his senior debut in 2010.
At four World Cups, he became the face of Brazilian football for more than a decade, carrying the expectations of a nation desperate to reclaim the sport’s greatest prize. Although the World Cup ultimately eluded him, Neymar enjoyed memorable moments on the international stage, winning the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 before captaining Brazil to Olympic gold on home soil in Rio 2016, having previously won silver at the 2012 London Games.
His international journey was rarely straightforward.
Injuries repeatedly interrupted major tournaments and the weight of expectation often followed him wherever Brazil played. However, through it all, Neymar remained the focal point of the national team, producing brilliant moments that cemented his place among the best footballers in the country’s history.
A PAINFUL FAREWELL
There was a cruel symmetry to the way Neymar’s career ended in Brazil.
He fought his way into the World Cup squad after injury, worked tirelessly to regain his fitness and eventually returned to the pitch only to watch Brazil fall at the first elimination hurdle.
When the final whistle blew against Norway, Neymar stood motionless before the emotions finally took over. Tears replaced words as teammates consoled the man who carried Brazil’s hopes for most of the last decade.
The result also marked the end of Brazil’s campaign under Carlo Ancelotti, whose more pragmatic approach took the Selecao to the knockout stages before Norway produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
But for Neymar, the defeat had even more meaning.
His last strike in a Brazil shirt was a penalty converted in calm. His last performance ended in tears.
While questions will continue about what might have been had injuries not interrupted key moments in his career, Neymar leaves the international stage having rewritten Brazil’s scoring and inspired a generation of footballers.
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
06 Jul 2026 05:18 IST