Brazilian football star Neymar ended his international career after his final match for the national team. After Brazil were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup following a 2-1 loss to Norway in the round of 16, Neymar announced his retirement.
An emotional Neymar said, "I tried. It started here, at MetLife Stadium, and ended here. It's over now." The star player had first taken the field for Brazil at the same stadium against the USA on August 10, 2010.
Neymar, who came on in the final minutes of the Norway match and scored a penalty, burst into tears at the final whistle and was consoled by his teammates.
The 34-year-old, who struggled with injuries throughout the tournament, featured in only two of Brazil's five matches. A right calf injury limited him to just 15 minutes in the group-stage match against Scotland.
Neymar goes down as Brazil's all-time top scorer. With his farewell, the Brazilian national team enters a period of transition to a new generation.
Team captain Marquinhos called on fans, saying, "We ask people to be patient with the new generation and support them from the very beginning."