The 34-year-old forward confirmed the end of his 16-year international career following Brazil’s 2-1 defeat against Norway in the Round of 16.
NEW JERSEY, July 6, 2026: Brazilian football icon Neymar Jr has announced his retirement from international football following Brazil’s dramatic 2-1 elimination by Norway in the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup.
The legendary forward signaled the definitive end of his international journey at the MetLife Stadium—the exact venue where he made his debut for the Seleção 16 years ago in 2010. Coming off the bench in the high-stakes knockout match, Neymar scored a stoppage-time penalty, but it proved to be a mere consolation as Erling Haaland’s brace secured a historic quarter-final berth for Norway.
Visibly devastated at the full-time whistle, an emotional Neymar broke down on the pitch and was consoled by his teammates. Speaking to Brazilian broadcaster Globo after the heartbreaking defeat, Neymar confirmed his decision to step away from the national team. “I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. It began here and it ends here,” he stated.
Neymar closes his international chapter as Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, boasting an incredible record of 80 goals in 129 appearances. Despite carrying the immense pressure of a football-obsessed nation for over a decade, his international career concludes without the elusive World Cup trophy, extending Brazil’s long-standing struggles against European opposition in the tournament’s knockout stages.
Currently playing his club football back where it all started at Santos, Neymar is expected to continue his domestic career on a season-by-season basis, managing the physical toll of injuries that have hampered his later years. His departure, alongside what is widely considered Cristiano Ronaldo’s final international tournament, marks a profound changing of the guard in global football.
