Neymar Announces International Retirement After Brazil's 2026 World Cup Exit
Neymar announced his retirement from international football with Brazil following the 1-2 Round of 16 loss to Norway at the 2026 World Cup, closing out a career that made him the Seleção's all-time top scorer.
Brazil
Norway- 90'⚽ Penalty goal for Brazil (Neymar)
- 90'Yellow card: Neymar (Brazil)
- 90'Substitution: ↑ Leo Østigård / ↓ David Møller Wolfe because of an injury. (Norway)
- 90'⚽ Goal for Norway (Erling Haaland)
- 90'Final score: Brazil 1 - 2 Norway
- 79'⚽ Goal for Norway (Erling Haaland)
- 79'Substitution: ↑ Éderson Silva / ↓ Bruno Guimarães. (Brazil)
- 67'Substitution: ↑ Danilo Santos / ↓ Rayan. (Brazil)
- 67'Substitution: ↑ Neymar / ↓ Gabriel Martinelli. (Brazil)
- 63'Substitution: ↑ Fredrik Aursnes / ↓ Julian Ryerson. (Norway)
- 58'Substitution: ↑ Endrick / ↓ Matheus Cunha. (Brazil)
- 45'Second half begins
- 45'Substitution: ↑ Andreas Schjelderup / ↓ Antonio Nusa. (Norway)
- 45'Substitution: ↑ Oscar Bobb / ↓ Alexander Sørloth. (Norway)
- 45'Half-time
- 45'Half-time
- 0'Kick-off
- 0'Kick-off
Neymar announced his retirement from international football with Brazil following the Seleção's 2-1 Round of 16 defeat to Norway at the 2026 World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
"I started here, I finished here"
Speaking emotionally after the match, Neymar said: "I tried, I tried. I started here at MetLife and finished here. Now it's all over" — a nod to the fact that the same stadium hosted his senior international debut against the United States back in August 2010.
Closing out a record-breaking career
Neymar bows out as Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 80 goals, three more than Pelé, and 130 caps — second only to Cafu's 142. He is also just the second Brazilian, alongside Pelé, to have scored at four different World Cups.
An injury-hit farewell tournament
A right calf injury limited Neymar to just two of Brazil's five matches at the tournament, before he scored his final international goal from the penalty spot against Norway. The defeat marks Brazil's earliest World Cup exit since 1990.
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti praised his players' effort despite the loss, saying the team "didn't deserve defeat" and vowing to use the disappointment as fuel for a new cycle.
