Brazilian football star, Neymar Jr., has announced his retirement from international football, bringing his 16-year career with the national team to an end.
The 34-year-old Santos forward made the announcement after helping his club secure a 4-2 victory over Universidad Central in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana knockout round playoffs.
His decision ends months of speculation over whether he would return to the Brazil national team following the country’s disappointing exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“My time with the national team is over,” Neymar told reporters.
“I made history, I was very happy, I gave my blood, my life. I always fought for the yellow jersey, but now I don’t want to anymore.”
Neymar’s final appearance for Brazil came in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The forward scored a stoppage-time penalty against Norway, but his effort was not enough to save Brazil from elimination as they suffered a 2-1 defeat.
The loss ended Brazil’s hopes of winning a record-extending sixth World Cup title.
Neymar’s final goal for the national team therefore came in a match that brought his international career to a close.
Neymar made his senior debut for Brazil in 2010 and went on to establish himself as one of the greatest players in the country’s football history.
With 80 international goals, he is Brazil’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer, having surpassed the record of legendary striker Pelé, who scored 77 goals for the national team.
Throughout his international career, Neymar represented Brazil at four FIFA World Cup tournaments and several editions of the Copa América.
He also featured in the FIFA Confederations Cup and the Olympic Games.
One of the major highlights of his international career came in 2013 when he played a key role in Brazil’s FIFA Confederations Cup triumph.
Three years later, Neymar captained Brazil to its first-ever Olympic men’s football gold medal at the Rio 2016 Games.
Despite his achievements, Neymar’s international career was also affected by a series of injuries, particularly during major tournaments.
At the 2026 World Cup, a grade two calf muscle injury suffered while playing for Santos ruled him out of Brazil’s opening two matches.
He eventually returned to the squad and came on as a substitute in Brazil’s final group-stage match against Scotland.
Neymar was again introduced from the bench during Brazil’s knockout-stage defeat to Norway, where he scored the stoppage-time penalty that became his final goal for the national team.
Neymar’s retirement brings an end to one of the most remarkable individual careers in Brazilian football in recent years.
