Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr. announced his retirement from international football following Brazil’s unexpected 2–1 defeat to Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 at MetLife Stadium on January 31, 2026.
The 34-year-old forward ended his international career as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, having scored 80 goals and provided 59 assists in 130 appearances. Neymar scored a stoppage-time penalty in the match, his first goal of the tournament, which served as a consolation after Erling Haaland’s late brace secured Norway’s victory.
Reflecting on his international career, Neymar told reporters, “I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. I started here; I finished here.”
Neymar’s retirement concludes a distinguished international tenure during which he helped Brazil win the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 and the Olympic gold medal at the Rio 2016 Games.
His place in Brazil’s squad had been uncertain due to fitness concerns, but head coach Carlo Ancelotti included him, hoping his experience would guide the team to success. Despite this, Brazil were eliminated in their earliest World Cup exit since 1990, marking their seventh consecutive knockout loss to European opposition.
Norway advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history after Haaland scored in the 79th minute via a header from Andreas Schjelderup’s cross and then added a second goal shortly after, bringing him level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe with seven goals each in the Golden Boot race.
Although Neymar converted a penalty in the 10th minute of added time following a foul on Casemiro by Leo Ostigard, Brazil could not recover the deficit, bringing an end to an era that significantly shaped Brazilian football over more than a decade.
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