‘It’s over now’: Tearful Neymar announces immediate international retirement after Brazil’s shock World Cup defeat to Norway

Neymar announced immediate retirement from the national team following Brazil’s shock 2-1 World Cup defeat by Norway in the Round of 16/ Image: X Brazil’s World Cup campaign ended in heartbreak on Sunday night, and with it the end of one of the greatest international careers in the country’s history. Moments after Brazil suffered a 2-1 round of 16 defeat to Norway at the MetLife Stadium, an emotional Neymar confirmed he had played his final game for the Seleção, capping a remarkable 16-year journey in the famous yellow shirt. The 34-year-old left the pitch in tears after scoring a stoppage-time penalty in what proved to be his last goal for Brazil before announcing his retirement from international football as the country’s all-time top scorer.

Neymar confirms international retirement after heartbreaking World Cup exit

Brazil entered the knockout stage hoping to extend their quest for a sixth World Cup title, but Norway caused one of the tournament’s biggest upsets with a 2-1 victory to knock Carlo Ancelotti’s side out of the round of 16. Erling Haaland’s late double turned the game in Norway’s favor before Neymar converted a penalty deep into the stoppage time, though it proved to be a consolation.

Brazil’s Neymar (10) celebrates after scoring from a penalty kick during the World Cup Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

When the final whistle blew, the Brazilian forward immediately sat down on the pitch and burst into tears as team-mates gathered around him in an attempt to comfort the experienced striker. Emotions reflected more than Brazil’s elimination, as Neymar already knew the announcement he was about to make.

Brazil’s Neymar (10) reacts after the World Cup Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Neymar confirmed after the match that his international career was over. “I tried. I tried. It started here at Met Life Stadium and I finished here. Now it’s over.” The announcement brought the curtain down on a Brazilian career that began with his senior debut in 2010 and spanned four FIFA World Cups, two Olympics and more than a decade as the face of Brazilian football.

The Brazilian’s record-breaking career is coming to an end

Neymar finishes as Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer, having scored 80 goals while providing 59 assists in 130 international appearances over a 16-year career. He also finished as Brazil’s second best playmaker, with only one player representing the Seleção more than once.

Brazil’s Marquinhos, left, Neymar (10) and Raphinha react after losing to Norway in the World Cup Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

His international resume extends far beyond the goals themselves. Neymar represented Brazil at four FIFA World Cups and featured in two Olympic Games, winning a silver medal in 2012, before captaining his country to a long-awaited Olympic gold medal on home soil in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. His inclusion in Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad was celebrated across the country after a long battle with injuries, but his tournament proved frustrating. Neymar made only two substitute appearances and played a total of 37 minutes in Brazil’s five games. His only goal came from a penalty in stoppage time against Norway, which ended up being the last goal of his international career.

The club’s future remains undecided as Ancelotti looks ahead

Although Neymar has now confirmed the end of his time in Brazil, he has stopped short of announcing his complete retirement from football. Speaking about his future earlier this year, the forward admitted he was still undecided about how much longer he would play professionally. “I don’t know what’s next, I don’t know about next year. “It’s possible that when December comes I’ll want to retire. I’m living year to year now. We’ll see what my heart decides. It depends on what my heart says later in the year.” While Neymar’s international chapter has closed, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti insisted the defeat should be the start of a rebuilding process rather than its closure.

Brazil’s Neymar (10) walks off the field with his teammates after the World Cup Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Ancelotti, who was appointed Brazil head coach in May, ruled out stepping down despite overseeing Brazil’s earliest World Cup exit since 1990, with the Seleção failing to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 36 years. “We have to keep working and improving and finding new ideas,” Ancelotti said in his post-match press conference. “I believe this loss is not the end, but the beginning of a new cycle.” Norway’s win sends them into the quarter-finals of the World Cup, where they will face the winner of the Round of 16 between Mexico and England. For Brazil, however, the tournament will forever be remembered as the stage on which one of the country’s greatest footballers brought an extraordinary international career to an emotional conclusion.