NeymarThe international career came to an end on Sunday when the Brazilian star confirmed that he had played his last game for the national team following Brazil’s heartbreaking 2-1 defeat by Norway in the final. FIFA World Cup 16 minutes. The 34-year-old was overcome with emotion after the final whistle at the New York New Jersey Stadium, breaking down in tears as television cameras filmed him covering his face with his Brazilian shirt. The ordeal marked the end of a journey that spanned more than 16 years and saw Neymar become one of the greatest players in Brazilian football history. “It started here at MetLife Stadium, and I finished here. Now it’s over,” Neymar said after the game. “I ate.” His words had a special meaning. Neymar made his Brazil debut on August 10, 2010, in a match against the United States at the same stadium in New Jersey where his international career ended. The parallels were impossible to ignore when one of football’s brightest stars said goodbye to the place where his journey began. Limited by a persistent calf injury throughout the tournament, Neymar played in just two of Brazil’s five World Cup games and made a brief 15-minute appearance against Scotland in the group stage. He came off the bench against Norway and converted a late equalizer to reduce the deficit after Erling Haaland’s strike stunned the world five times. However, the goal proved to be a mere consolation as Brazil’s hopes of a stunning comeback were dashed by the final whistle. Neymar will leave the world after carrying Brazil’s hopes for more than a decade. His World Cup story was one of incredible talent mixed with repeated heartbreaks, from the injury that kept him out of action in 2014 to the disappointment of the final in 2018, the shooting pains in 2022 and now the early exit in 2026. With Neymar on the sidelines, Brazil have now turned the page to a new era. Captain Marquinhos has urged supporters to join the next generation, saying the young team needs time and patience as they look to rebuild after another painful World Cup campaign.
