Brazil has crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a shocking loss to Norway in the round-of-16 clash. Brazil lost 2-1 to the Scandinavian side, while Neymar officially announced his retirement from international football. “I tried,” Neymar said after the match on Sunday. “It started here, at MetLife Stadium, and I finished here. It is now over.”
Neymar, 34, played his first game for Brazil on August 10, 2010 – a friendly against the United States at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He is Brazil’s all-time top scorer in international competitions, having surpassed the global icon Pele.
He scored Brazil’s only goal of the game through a penalty right before the end of the game after he was brought in as a substitute.
As the final whistle was blown, he went down with tears in his eyes and had to be consoled by his teammates, who then picked him up from the field.
Neymar appeared in only two of Brazil’s five matches in the tournament due to a nagging right calf injury. He played for 15 minutes against Scotland in a group match.
“We ask that people have patience with the new generation and support them from the get-go,” captain Marquinhos said.
Also read: FIFA: Portugal team in Dallas for WC Round-of-16 clash with Spain
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