One of Brazil’s greatest footballers of the 2000s left another World Cup in tears.
The dream is dead for Neymar, 34.
– Now it’s over, he says.
Neymar began his Brazilian national team career with a friendly against the United States at the Metlife Stadium in 2010.
He remembered it immediately after the loss against Norway in the same arena.
– I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. I started here, and I will finish here, says Neymar Globe.
Neymar reduced
Neymar’s 2026 World Cup was marred by a calf injury and he made just two appearances.
In the round of 16 against Norway, he was substituted with barely 25 minutes left to play and was on the pitch when Erling Haaland scored both of his goals. Neymar reduced the penalty for Brazil when the race was essentially over in the tenth minute of added time.
Neymar played a total of four World Cup tournaments and scored nine World Cup goals. He never got to play more than the quarter-finals because he was injured when Brazil played the semi-finals at home in the 2014 World Cup.
First time in 36 years
Brazil had not failed to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup since 1990.
Despite that, the brass have several heavy WC tournaments behind them now.
Since winning gold in 2002, Brazil has only made it to the semi-finals once, and that time it was a 1-7 loss to Germany.
“Deeply disappointed”
Brazil’s national team captain Carlo Ancelotti does not think the team deserved to lose against Norway.
– Of course we are all deeply disappointed. I don’t think we did an outstanding World Cup, but a good World Cup. I also believe that we deserved to win today’s match, says Ancelotti.
He sees a brighter future for Brazil.
– When you go through a moment like this, you have to see a loss as the beginning of a new adventure. We must continue to develop and find new ideas. This is not the end – it is the beginning of a new cycle.
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