Neymar says Brazil career ‘over’ after Norway defeat

Brazil's superstar Neymar indicated Sunday that his international career has concluded following the five-time World Cup winners' exit from the tournament. Norway defeated Brazil 2-1 in the last 16.

Neymar entered the match as a late substitute at the MetLife Stadium. He converted a penalty deep into injury time, but it served only as a consolation after Erling Haaland scored twice for Norway. The 34-year-old is Brazil's all-time leading scorer. Ironically, he scored his first goal for his country in the same stadium back in 2010, during a 2-0 victory against the United States.

"I tried and I tried. Now it's over. It began here and it ends here," Neymar stated in a brief conversation with a journalist from Brazil's Globo Esporte after the game. He was visibly emotional, collapsing in tears when the final whistle blew, and required consolation from his teammates.

Battling injuries in recent years, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player, who has returned to his first club Santos, was a surprising inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil squad for the World Cup. An injury had prevented him from playing in Brazil's initial two group games. However, he did feature in their 3-0 win over Scotland in Miami, which concluded the opening round. This appearance marked his first international outing since October 2023, with his only other match in the United States occurring on Sunday against Norway.

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I tried and I tried. Now it's over. It began here and it ends here.