The injury-plagued striker converted a penalty but failed to take his team into the last 16 at the FIFA World Cup.
Published On 6 Jul 2026
Neymar says he is done playing for Brazil’s national team, making the announcement after he and his teammates were knocked out of the World Cup with a 2-1 loss to Norway in the round of 16.
“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, and ironically, he got his first goal for his country ahead of global football icon Pele.
Against Norway, he scored from a penalty kick in the final minutes after being brought on as a substitute. He collapsed in tears when the final whistle went and had to be consoled by teammates.
Neymar appeared in only two of Brazil’s five games in the tournament due to a nagging right calf injury. He was also on the field for 15 minutes against Scotland in group play.
Brazil’s best player for more than a decade had been slowed by injuries in recent years that limited his impact. The country is now entering a period of transition, with the next generation taking over.
“We ask that people will have patience with the new generation and support them from the get-go,” captain Marquinhos said.
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