Like Brazil’s final goodwill gesture towards winning the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 against Norway, Neymar also sent a message to IFFIFS that the time had come to end his historic 16-year spell with the national team.
The 34-year-old confirmed his decision minutes after Brazil was eliminated in heartbreak, and said his days with the Selecao were over. Emotional Neymar admitted he had tried so hard to make his return for one last World Cup but that his twenty-year international career is now done.
After the game, Neymar stated that he really kept on trying but now it’s done.
Neymar’s late penalty save the draw, but Brazil will miss the World Cup. Five-time world champion Norway put themselves 3 stars above by grabbing a famous win with a brace in the dying moments from Erling Haaland, ending in a world title final.
Neymar had been physically stressed after missing the first two games for the Brazil team, though he was in good form at the tournament. Under head coach Carlo Ancelotti he slowly re-establishes his fitness and is, among others, used as a sub at Scotland and Norway. He played his last Brazilian match and coloured goal respectively on the penalty spot, but it was a consolation for the Brazilian’s loss.
Neymar will step away as Brazil’s top footballer on this occasion with 129 appearances and 80 goals for the senior team since his debut in 2010.
He played for the Brazil team in four World Cup tournaments and was the Brazilian national team’s superstar for over ten years. A World Cup trophy never came the way of Neymar but in 2013 he brought the FIFA Confederations Cup closer to his heart, ending the World Cup runners up’s dreams, by helping Brazil win the Olympic gold in Rio 2016, even though he had to settle for silver while participating in London 2012.