Neymar ends Brazil career after World Cup loss to Norway
Neymar said he is finished with Brazil’s national team after a 2-1 round-of-16 defeat ended the country’s World Cup run.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Neymar said his Brazil career is over after the national team was eliminated from the World Cup in a 2-1 loss to Norway in the round of 16, The Associated Press reported. The decision takes Brazil’s all-time leading scorer out of the national-team picture as the country turns toward a younger group.
The 34-year-old made the announcement after Sunday’s match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the same venue where he made his first Brazil appearance in 2010, according to AP.
“I tried,” Neymar said after the game, according to AP. “It started here, at MetLife Stadium, and I finished here. It is now over.”
A final appearance marked by injury
Neymar had a limited role at the tournament because of a right calf problem, AP reported. He played in only two of Brazil’s five matches, including 15 minutes against Scotland in the group stage.
Against Norway, he entered as a substitute and scored from the penalty spot in the closing minutes, according to AP. Brazil still fell short, and Neymar dropped to the ground in tears after the final whistle before teammates consoled him.
Images from the match showed Raphinha and Vinicius Junior near Neymar after Brazil’s elimination, Reuters reported through match photography. The defeat ended Brazil’s campaign before the quarterfinals.
A career that began in the same stadium
Neymar’s first match for Brazil came on August 10, 2010, in a friendly against the United States at the East Rutherford stadium, AP reported. He later became the national team’s all-time top scorer.
AP described Neymar as Brazil’s leading player for more than a decade. Injuries in recent years reduced his ability to shape matches for the national team, according to AP.
The exit leaves Brazil in what AP described as a period of transition. Captain Marquinhos asked supporters to back the players who will carry the team next.
“We ask that people will have patience with the new generation and support them from the get-go,” Marquinhos said, according to AP.
Neymar’s final tournament ended with two brief appearances and one late penalty goal. His international career closed where it began, after Brazil’s loss in New Jersey sent Norway through and left the five-time champions out of the World Cup.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.