Neymar announces international retirement after Brazil’s defeat

Brazilian football icon Neymar has announced his retirement from international duty following Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Norway in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 34-year-old forward, who finishes as Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 80 goals in 129 appearances, made the announcement shortly after the match.

Neymar made his senior debut for Brazil in 2010 and went on to feature in four World Cups. He also represented his country at two Olympic Games, earning silver in 2012 and captaining Brazil to gold in 2016 on home soil.

At the 2026 tournament, the veteran appeared twice as a substitute. He came off the bench in the second half against Scotland during the group stage and scored his only goal of the competition from the penalty spot in stoppage time against Norway.

Tributes from football legends
The news drew immediate praise from fellow football greats. Former France striker Thierry Henry highlighted Neymar’s enduring impact on the game.

“Thank you. This is a guy I would’ve paid to watch. Simple as that,” Henry said on FOX Sports’ World Cup Today. “We can talk about tactics... but this guy could play anywhere, at any time, in any style. He made anyone love the game with the way he was, his goals, his smile, the way he went about it and his skills.

Zlatan Ibrahimović also paid tribute, acknowledging Neymar’s extraordinary talent while noting the high expectations that followed him.

“He will be remembered as the great footballer that came over to Europe,” Ibrahimović said. “When he was at Barcelona, he did good. When he was at PSG, he did good. But... people will say also that he could’ve done more than he did because people wanted him to win the Ballon d’Or.

“An amazing talent, an amazing player and the skill set he had was just crazy. So, sad moment for Brazilian football.”

Norway advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the Mexico vs England Round of 16 match on July 11 at Miami Stadium.