Neymar hangs up his boots for Brazil following World Cup elimination

n n

Brazil superstar Neymar indicated on Sunday that his international career was over after the five-time World Cup winners went out of the tournament in the last 16 at the hands of Norway.

n

Neymar came on as a late substitute at MetLife Stadium and scored a penalty deep in injury time, but that was a mere consolation after Erling Haaland netted twice for Norway, and Brazil lost 2-1.

n

The 34-year-old is Brazil’s all-time top scorer, and, ironically, he got his first goal for his country in the same stadium, in a 2-0 win against the United States back in 2010.

n

“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.

n

He collapsed in tears when the final whistle went and had to be consoled by teammates.

n

Worn down by injuries in recent years, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player, now back at his first club, Santos, was a surprise inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the World Cup.

n

Injury prevented him from featuring in Brazil’s first two group games at the tournament, but he did come on in the 3-0 win over Scotland in Miami, which completed the opening round.

n

That was his first international appearance since October 2023, but his only other appearance in the United States came Sunday against Norway.

n

AFP

n n