Neymar bids farewell to Brazil: ‘I tried, I tried, now it’s over’.

Neymar’s 16-year journey with the Brazilian national team came to an emotional end on Sunday as the Seleção crashed out of the 2026 World Cup in the round of 16, falling 2–1 to Norway at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The 34-year-old forward, who entered as a second-half substitute in the 67th minute, scored Brazil’s lone goal from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time—a consolation strike that proved to be his final touch in the famous yellow shirt.

Moments after the final whistle, an tearful Neymar confirmed what many had suspected: his international career was over.

“I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. I started here, I finished here,” Neymar told ge television, reflecting on the symmetry of his journey. He made his senior debut for Brazil at the very same stadium—MetLife Stadium—in a friendly against the United States in August 2010.

A Record-Breaking Career, but Elusive Glory

Neymar departs as Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 80 goals in 129 international appearances—surpassing the legendary Pelé (77) in September 2023. He also becomes only the second Brazilian player, alongside Thiago Silva, to feature in four World Cups without lifting the trophy.

His international trophy cabinet includes the 2013 Confederations Cup and an Olympic gold medal at Rio 2016. But the World Cup—the crown every Brazilian dreams of—remained agonizingly out of reach.

The Weight of Injuries

Neymar’s World Cup campaigns were repeatedly shadowed by injury misfortune. In 2014, a fractured vertebra from Juan Camillo Zúñiga’s knee in the quarter-finals ruled him out of the infamous 7–1 semifinal defeat to Germany. In 2018, he played through chronic ankle pain. In 2022, he suffered an ankle injury in the opener and returned only for the knockout stage, scoring in the quarter-final loss to Croatia. And in 2026, he arrived with a grade 2 calf strain, limiting his fitness throughout the tournament.

An Era Ends

With this elimination, Brazil recorded its worst World Cup campaign since 1990 and extended its title drought to 28 years—the longest since the nation’s first championship.

As Neymar walked off the pitch in tears, consoled by teammates, the curtain fell on an era that began with boundless promise 16 years ago—a legacy defined by individual brilliance, records shattered, and a World Cup title that always seemed just one step away.

The prince of Brazilian football had played his final game for the Seleção.