My time with Brazil is over, Neymar retires from international football

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Brazilian football icon Neymar Jr. has announced his retirement from international football, bringing the curtain down on a 16-year spell with the Seleção after Brazil’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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The 34-year-old Santos forward confirmed his decision after his team’s 4-2 win over Universidad Central in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana knockout round playoffs, ending months of speculation over a possible return to the national team, Foot-Africa reports.

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“My time with the national team is over.

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“I made history, I was very happy, I gave my blood, my life. I always fought for the yellow jersey, but now I don’t want to anymore,” Neymar told reporters.

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Neymar’s final appearance for Brazil came in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Norway.

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He converted a stoppage-time penalty, but the goal was not enough to prevent Brazil from crashing out with a 2-1 defeat, ending the country’s hopes of winning a sixth World Cup title.

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The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star leaves the national team as Brazil’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer, having netted 80 goals to eclipse Pelé’s long-standing record of 77.

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Since making his senior debut in 2010, Neymar featured in four FIFA World Cups, multiple Copa América tournaments, the FIFA Confederations Cup and the Olympic Games.

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He was instrumental in Brazil’s triumph at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and captained the country to its maiden Olympic men’s football gold medal at the Rio 2016 Games.

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Injuries, however, frequently hampered his international career, particularly at the World Cup. A grade two calf muscle injury sustained while playing for Santos ruled him out of Brazil’s opening two matches at the 2026 tournament.

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He returned as a substitute in the team’s final group-stage match against Scotland before making another substitute appearance in the last-16 defeat to Norway, where he scored the final goal of his international career.

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Neymar’s retirement signals the end of one of the most successful international careers in Brazilian football history and paves the way for a new generation of players to lead the five-time world champions into future competitions.

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