Brazil’s FIFA World Cup campaign came to a sad end on Sunday night, and with it ended one of the greatest international careers in the country’s history. Moments after Brazil suffered a 2-1 Round of 16 loss to Norway at the MetLife Stadium, an emotional Neymar confirmed that he had played his last game for the Seleção, bringing an incredible 16-year journey of the famous yellow shirt to an end. The 34-year-old left the pitch in tears after scoring a stoppage-time penalty which proved to be his last goal for Brazil, before announcing his retirement from international football as the country’s leading goalscorer.
Neymar has confirmed his international retirement after a heartbreaking World Cup exit
Brazil entered the knockout tie hoping to extend their pursuit of a sixth World Cup title, but Norway produced one of the tournament’s biggest upsets with a 2-1 win to eliminate Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the Round of 16. Erling Haaland’s late double swung the game in Norway’s favor before Neymar converted a penalty deep into stoppage time, though it proved to be a consolation.
Brazil’s Neymar (10) celebrates after scoring from a penalty kick during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, NJ, near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
When the final whistle was blown, the Brazilian forward immediately sat down on the pitch and cried as teammates gathered around him in an attempt to comfort the veteran attacker. Emotions showed more than Brazil’s elimination, because Neymar already knew the announcement he was about to make.
Neymar (10) of Brazil reacts at the end of the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, NJ, near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Speaking after the match, Neymar confirmed that his international career was over. “I tried. I tried. It started here at Met Life Stadium, and I finished here. It’s over.” The announcement brings the curtain down on a Brazilian career that began with his senior debut in 2010 and has spanned four FIFA World Cups, two Olympic Games and more than a decade as the face of Brazilian football.
A record-breaking Brazilian career is on the horizon
Neymar retired as Brazil’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer after scoring 80 goals while also providing 59 assists in 130 international appearances over a 16-year career. He also finished as Brazil’s second highest appearance maker, with only one player representing the Seleção more times.
Brazil’s Marquinhos, left, Neymar (10) and Raphinha react after losing to Norway in the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, NJ, near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
His international résumé is more than goals alone. Neymar represented Brazil in four FIFA World Cups and appeared in two Olympic Games, winning a silver medal in 2012 before captaining his country to a long-awaited Olympic gold medal on home soil in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. His inclusion in Brazil’s squad for the 2026 World Cup was celebrated across the country after a long battle with injuries, but his tournament proved disappointing. Neymar made only two substitute appearances, playing a combined 37 minutes in Brazil’s five matches. His only goal came from the penalty spot in stoppage time against Norway, which ended up being the last goal of his international career.
The club’s future remains undecided as Ancelotti looks ahead
Although Neymar has now confirmed the end of his time in Brazil, he has not announced an all-out retirement from football. Earlier this year, speaking about his future, the forward admitted that he has not yet decided how much longer he will continue to play professionally. “I don’t know what will happen from now on, I don’t know next year. “Maybe when December comes, I want to retire. I’m living year after year now. We’ll see what my heart decides. It depends on what my heart says after the year.” As Neymar’s international chapter closes, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti insists the defeat should represent the beginning of a rebuilding process rather than its conclusion.
Brazil’s Neymar (10) walks off the field with teammates after the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, NJ, near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Appointed as Brazil head coach in May, Ancelotti has ruled out quitting despite overseeing Brazil’s first World Cup exit since 1990, with the Seleção failing to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 36 years. “We have to keep working and improving, and looking for new ideas,” Ancelotti said in his post-match press conference. “I believe that this defeat is not the end but the beginning of a new cycle.” Norway’s victory takes them to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, where they will face the winner of the Round of 16 meeting between Mexico and England. For Brazil, however, the tournament will forever be remembered as the episode where one of football’s greatest ever players brought an extraordinary international career to its emotional conclusion.