Gone in 23 minutes: Neymar’s Brazil career ends in tears after unforgettable cameo

Neymar announced his retirement from international football on Sunday night after a chaotic 23-minute cameo ended in tears.

Norway produced one of the biggest shocks of the tournament when they knocked out the five-time winners following two second-half goals from Erling Haaland.

During the match, Neymar, 34, picked up a yellow card, laughed in the Norway goalkeeper’s face while trailing and inching towards being dumped out. Neymar, who made his international debut for Brazil at MetLife Stadium in 2010, then broke down in tears at full time.

“I tried,” Neymar said after the match. “I tried. It started here at MetLife Stadium and I finished here. It is now over.”

Here Telegraph Sport breaks down Neymar’s farewell:

Ancelotti calls on Neymar to make a difference

With the match still goalless, Carlo Ancelotti, the Brazil head coach, decided to roll the dice by bringing on Neymar in the 67th minute for Gabriel Martinelli. However, the former Paris St-Germain and Barcelona forward had little of the ball and within 10 minutes Haaland had headed Norway into the lead.

Odegaard feels his frustration

At this point, Brazil had gone 2-0 down thanks to another Haaland goal and were knocking the ball around the pitch a little like a Brazil team of old. Tempers started to fray and Neymar kicked out at Martin Odegaard.

The Norway captain rolled around on the floor before sitting up with a grin on his face as Neymar received the first and only yellow card of the game.

Norway gets the last laugh

Brazil were given the slightest glimmer of hope of a potential comeback when the referee awarded a 99th-minute penalty after Leo Ostigard landed an elbow in Casemiro’s face while challenging for a header.

With the ball in hand, Neymar stepped up to take it, but Orjan Nyland, the Norway goalkeeper, attempted to rattle the 34-year-old with some trash talk. The pair were engaged in a long back and forth before it was finally taken.

Neymar scored but it looked as if he forgot Brazil were still losing. Instead of hurrying back for the retake, Neymar approached Nyland at which point there was a heated exchange between the pair. Broadcaster Dazn claimed Neymar said: “Not to me, not to me”.

It all ends in tears

There have been many images of Neymar crying throughout his career. Meme-able images being taken during the Champions League final defeat with PSG in 2020 and more recently when he left the pitch injured playing for Santos.

However, the image of him sitting on the MetLife Stadium pitch in tears will forever encapsulate the disappointing end to his Brazil career. His team-mates all took it in turns to offer a consoling hand, but the tears kept flowing.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]