Neymar quits international football after Brazil’s World Cup knockout loss

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificWorld CupMiddle EastExplainedOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomySportHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftWorld Cup 2026LIVE: Mexico vs EnglandRound of 16 match scheduleResults and FixturesGoals and reactioncaret-rightSport|World Cup 2026Neymar quits international football after Brazil’s World Cup knockout lossThe injury-plagued striker converted a penalty but failed to take his team into the last 16 at the FIFA World Cup. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoNeymar made two brief appearances for Brazil at the World Cup [Jeenah Moon/Reuters]By The Associated PressPublished On 6 Jul 20266 Jul 2026Neymar says he is done playing for Brazil’s national team, making the announcement after he and his teammates were knocked out of the World Cup with a 2-1 loss to Norway in the round of 16. “I tried,” Neymar said after the match on Sunday. “It started here, at MetLife Stadium, and I finished here. It is now over.” Neymar, 34, played his first game for Brazil on August 10, 2010 – a friendly against the United States at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He is Brazil’s all-time top scorer, and ironically, he got his first goal for his country ahead of global football icon Pele. Against Norway, he scored from a penalty kick in the final minutes after being brought on as a substitute. He collapsed in tears when the final whistle went and had to be consoled by teammates. Neymar appeared in only two of Brazil’s five games in the tournament due to a nagging right calf injury. He was also on the field for 15 minutes against Scotland in group play. Brazil’s best player for more than a decade had been slowed by injuries in recent years that limited his impact. The country is now entering a period of transition, with the next generation taking over. “We ask that people will have patience with the new generation and support them from the get-go,” captain Marquinhos said. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: