An era in Brazilian football has come to an emotional end as Neymar has announced his retirement from international football following Brazil's elimination from the FIFA World Cup.
The Selecao's campaign came to a heartbreaking conclusion after a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the Round of 16, with Erling Haaland scoring twice to send the Scandinavian nation into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in its history.
Neymar, who came off the bench to a thunderous reception from Brazilian supporters, scored a late penalty deep into second-half stoppage time. Although it proved to be only a consolation goal, it marked the final goal of his remarkable international career.
Speaking after the match, the 34-year-old confirmed that his journey with Brazil had come to an end.
"I tried; I tried. Now it's over," Neymar told Globo.
"I started here; I finished here."
Neymar leaves the national team as Brazil's all-time leading men's goal scorer, having scored 80 goals and provided 59 assists in 130 international appearances over a 16-year career.
Only Cafu has represented Brazil more times than Neymar, cementing his place among the nation's greatest-ever footballers.
🚨🚨 BREAKING: Neymar announces his RETIREMENT FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL. 👋🏼🇧🇷
“I tried. I tried. It started here at Met Life stadium and I finished here. It is now over”, Ney said after the game.
His story with the Brazilian national team is over. pic.twitter.com/vPIFflyJHq— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 5, 2026
With his goal against Norway, Neymar also became only the second Brazilian player after Pele to score in four different FIFA World Cups : 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026.
His international journey began in 2010 with his senior debut against the United States and went on to include four FIFA World Cups, two Olympic Games and more than a decade as the face of Brazilian football.
Neymar's final World Cup campaign was far from ideal.
Having struggled with injuries leading up to the tournament, he was limited to just two substitute appearances, including Brazil's final group-stage match against Scotland before making one last appearance against Norway.
Despite his limited minutes, his presence remained symbolic for Brazilian football, with fans giving him a standing ovation as he entered the pitch for what would become his final match in the famous yellow jersey.
Brazil's defeat also marked one of the country's earliest World Cup exits in modern history. It is the earliest the five-time world champions have been eliminated since the 1990 FIFA World Cup, when they were knocked out by Argentina in the Round of 16.
The loss also extended a remarkable statistic, with Norway remaining the only nation Brazil have faced multiple times without ever recording a victory.
Since their first meeting, Brazil have faced Norway five times, recording two draws and suffering three defeats. Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted the defeat was painful but remained optimistic about the team's future.
"Obviously, everyone is deeply disappointed considering what happened," Ancelotti said.
"I don't think we had a spectacular World Cup, but we had a good one. I even think we deserved to win the game."
The veteran coach acknowledged that defeats are part of football and stressed that Brazil would use the disappointment as motivation moving forward.
"We need to digest a defeat like this. This has been a new adventure, and we must continue earning our place, improving and finding new ideas."
"We'll keep working hard for the national team. This is football. You have to deal with the sadness and use it as fuel for the future."
Although Neymar's international journey has come to an end, his legacy within Brazilian football is firmly secured. From dazzling dribbles and unforgettable goals to countless moments of brilliance, Neymar inspired a generation of football fans and helped carry the expectations of one of the world's greatest footballing nations for more than a decade.
While his dream of lifting the FIFA World Cup never became reality, he leaves the international stage as one of Brazil's finest players, a football icon whose name will forever be etched into the history of the Selecao.
Source / Image Credit : Fabrizio Romano , Times Of India