Brazil's veteran forward Neymar Jr. announced his retirement from international football moments after the five-time world champions suffered a stunning 2-1 defeat to Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday.
Neymar, 34, finishes as Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 80 goals in 130 appearances, adding 59 assists. His penalty in the 10th minute of stoppage time was his first goal of the tournament, but it proved only a consolation after Erling Haaland's brace had put Norway 2-0 ahead.
Emotional farewell
Reflecting on the end of his journey with the national team, Neymar told reporters, as quoted by ESPN UK: "I tried, I tried. Now it's over. I started here; I finished here."
His retirement draws the curtain on one of the most celebrated international careers in Brazilian football. During his time with the Selecao, Neymar helped Brazil win the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 and the Olympic gold medal at the Rio 2016 Games.
Haaland's heroics end Brazil's campaign
Norway, appearing in the knockout stages with growing confidence, absorbed sustained Brazilian pressure before Haaland broke the deadlock in the 79th minute with a towering header from Andreas Schjelderup's cross. The Manchester City striker then sealed a famous victory moments later, calmly firing home his second goal of the night to put Norway 2-0 ahead and move level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe on seven goals in the race for the Golden Boot.
Neymar reduced the deficit from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time after Leo Ostigard was penalised for a foul on Casemiro, but Brazil were unable to mount a comeback as Norway secured a historic first-ever World Cup quarter-final appearance.
Brazil's early exit and legacy
For Brazil, the defeat marked a seventh consecutive World Cup knockout loss to European opposition and their earliest World Cup exit since 1990. Neymar's participation in the tournament had remained uncertain until the final stages of squad selection because of fitness concerns, but head coach Carlo Ancelotti included him in Brazil's 26-man squad hoping his experience would inspire another deep run.
Instead, Brazil's campaign ended in dramatic fashion. Neymar's emotional farewell closed the chapter on an era that defined Brazilian football for more than a decade.
