Neymar announces – Neymar played his last match for Brazil after coming on in the 67th minute and scoring a penalty in extra time, and in tears at MetLife Stadium he confirmed his retirement from international football.
By the time Neymar walked off the pitch, the moment had already turned into something heavier than a World Cup exit.
Brazil’s 2-1 Round of 16 loss to Norway in East Rutherford, N.J. ended with Neymar entering the match in the 67th minute and scoring Brazil’s only goal from a penalty in extra time. After the game. the 34-year-old was in tears. and in an interview with TV Globo he all but sealed what many had feared would come at the final whistle.
“I tried. I tried. It started here at MetLife Stadium and I finished here. It is now over,” Neymar said.
It was a line loaded with the kind of closure only a player living through the last steps of a long international run can understand. The retirement was reported Sunday by Fabrizio Romano.
Neymar’s history with Brazil at MetLife Stadium stretches back years. His first match for the national team at the venue came in 2010 against the United States. Now, years later, the same stadium became the backdrop for what he described as the end.
Statistically, his international career leaves a mark that’s hard to move past. Neymar finishes as Brazil’s second-most-capped player, behind Cafu, and as the country’s all-time leading scorer with 80 goals.
His career away from the national team has been equally storied. Throughout his professional journey, Neymar has played for Santos FC, FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Al Hilal. He rejoined his childhood club Santos in 2025, returning to a place that shaped him long before the global spotlight.
For Brazil, the heartbreak is immediate. For Neymar, the message was delivered in the quiet of personal goodbye—born at MetLife Stadium, and finished there again.
Neymar Brazil Norway World Cup Round of 16 MetLife Stadium international retirement Cafu Santos FC Barcelona Paris Saint-Germain Al Hilal