International News: Neymar retires from International football after Brazil’s World Cup exit

By Zoila Palma:  Neymar has announced his retirement from international football following Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Norway in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16.

The 34-year-old confirmed his decision after the match, bringing an end to a distinguished career with the Brazilian national team that began in 2010.

Brazil’s World Cup campaign ended as Erling Haaland scored twice to send Norway into the quarter-finals for the first time. Neymar, who came off the bench, scored a stoppage-time penalty to pull one goal back, but it was not enough to prevent Brazil’s earliest World Cup elimination since 1990.

After the match, Neymar said, “I tried. I tried. Now it’s over,” adding that he began his international career at MetLife Stadium and ended it there.

Limited by a lingering calf injury, Neymar featured in only two substitute appearances during the tournament, including Brazil’s final group-stage match against Scotland.

Despite his restricted role, he became only the second Brazilian player after Pelé to score in four different World Cups (2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026). He also retires as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 80 international goals and finishes second on the country’s all-time appearances list with 130 caps, behind Cafu’s 142.

The post International News: Neymar retires from International football after Brazil’s World Cup exit appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.