Brazil star Neymar stated on Sunday that his international career was ended after the five-time World Cup winners were eliminated in the round of 16 by Norway.
Neymar came on as a late substitute at MetLife Stadium and converted a penalty in injury time, but it was in vain because Norway’s Erling Haaland scored twice, and Brazil lost 2-1.
The 34-year-old is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, and curiously, he scored his first goal for his country in the same stadium, in a 2-0 victory over the United States, in 2010.
“I tried, and I tried. Now it’s over. It began here, and it ends here,” Neymar said in a brief exchange with a journalist from Brazil’s Globo Esporte after the game.
He burst into tears after the final whistle blew and had to be consoled by teammates.
Worn down by injuries in recent years, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player, now back at his first club, Santos, was a surprising choice in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil World Cup squad.
He was unable to play in Brazil’s first two group games in the tournament due to injury, but he did appear in the 3-0 victory over Scotland in Miami to round up the first round.
That was his first international appearance since October 2023, and his only previous appearance in the United States came on Sunday against Norway.
