Hyderabad, July 6: Brazil forward Neymar announced his retirement from international football after Brazil’s 2 1 defeat to Norway in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 on Sunday.
“I tried. It started here at MetLife Stadium, and I finished here. It is now over,” Neymar said after the match. The 34 year old made his Brazil debut at the same stadium in a friendly against the United States on August 9, 2010.
Neymar featured in only two of Brazil’s five World Cup matches because of a recurring right calf injury. He also made a brief appearance against Scotland during the group stage.
He came off the bench in the 68th minute against Norway and converted a late penalty, becoming only the second Brazilian after Pelé to score in four FIFA World Cups.
Brazil suffered its earliest World Cup exit since 1990 after Norway secured a 2 1 victory. Midfielder Bruno Guimarães missed an early penalty that was saved by Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. The miss proved costly as Brazil failed to recover despite Neymar’s late goal.
Brazil captain Marquinhos urged fans to support the next generation of players, saying the team is entering a new phase after Neymar’s departure.
Brazil, a five time FIFA World Cup champion, has not won the tournament since 2002. The defeat also marked the Seleção’s first elimination before the quarterfinals since the 1990 World Cup
