Neymar has announced his retirement from international football after Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign ended in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the last 16.
The 34-year-old forward made an emotional farewell after the final whistle at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, confirming that his journey with the Brazilian national team had come to an end following a remarkable 16-year international career.
Introduced as a 67th-minute substitute, Neymar scored a stoppage-time penalty, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation as Brazil crashed out of the tournament.
Speaking to TV Globo after the match, an emotional Neymar admitted he had played his final game for the Seleção.
“I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. I started here, I finished here.”
His farewell carried extra significance because it came at the same stadium where his Brazil journey began.
Neymar made his senior international debut at MetLife Stadium in August 2010, scoring in a 2-0 friendly victory over the United States. Sixteen years later, he returned to the same venue to bring the curtain down on one of the most celebrated careers in Brazilian football history.
He leaves the national team as Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, having scored 80 goals in 130 appearances, placing him second on the country’s all-time appearances list behind Cafu, who represented Brazil 142 times.
The 2026 World Cup marked Neymar’s return to the international stage after an injury-plagued absence that had kept him out of Brazil’s squad since 2023.
His tournament involvement was limited, making his comeback as a substitute during Brazil’s 3-0 group-stage victory over Scotland before again coming off the bench against Norway, where he scored his only goal of the competition from the penalty spot.
This was Neymar’s fourth World Cup, having previously represented Brazil at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Despite winning numerous honours at club level and becoming one of the most recognisable footballers of his generation, the World Cup trophy remained the one major prize to elude him. Brazil’s defeat also extended the nation’s wait for a sixth world title, with the Seleção now without World Cup success since 2002.
Throughout his international career, Neymar established himself as one of Brazil’s greatest-ever players, combining extraordinary skill, creativity and goalscoring ability while becoming the focal point of the national team for more than a decade.
His legacy includes becoming the country’s record scorer, surpassing Pelé’s tally, while inspiring Brazil through four World Cup campaigns and numerous major international tournaments.
Although Brazil’s latest World Cup adventure ended in disappointment, Neymar’s place in the nation’s football history is already secure.
His final appearance ended in defeat, but his contribution to Brazilian football over the past 16 years ensures he will be remembered as one of the defining figures of his generation.
