Neymar has indicated that he may have played his final match for Brazil after the five-time world champions were knocked out of the World Cup by Norway in the last 16.
The 34-year-old scored a stoppage-time penalty in Brazil’s 2-1 defeat on Monday, but the late goal was not enough to prevent an early exit from the tournament.
Speaking after the match, an emotional Neymar suggested that his journey with the national team could now be over.
“I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. I started here; I finished here,” he said, referring to the stadium in New Jersey where he made his senior Brazil debut in a friendly against the United States in 2010.
The forward was visibly upset following the final whistle as Brazil suffered their earliest World Cup elimination since 1990, extending the country’s long wait for a record-extending sixth world title.
Should Neymar decide to retire from international football, he will leave as one of Brazil’s most influential players. Across 130 appearances, he has scored 80 goals and provided 58 assists, making him one of the nation’s most productive players of the modern era.
Although Neymar enjoyed considerable success at club level, major honours with the national team proved more difficult to secure. His only senior international trophy came in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Brazil’s latest disappointment also highlights a prolonged drought on football’s biggest stage.
The Selecao last lifted the World Cup in 2002, and if they fail to win the tournament in 2030, the gap will have stretched to 28 years, their longest wait since claiming their first world title.
While Neymar has yet to make an official announcement regarding his international future, his post-match remarks strongly suggest that his distinguished career in Brazil colours may have come to an end.
