By: Odeh Favour Adiya
Brazilian football icon, Neymar Jr. has officially announced his retirement from international football, bringing the curtain down on a memorable 16-year spell with the Seleção following Brazil’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 34-year-old Santos forward confirmed his decision shortly after his club side’s 4-2 victory over Universidad Central in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana knockout round playoffs, ending months of speculation surrounding a possible return to the national team fold.
Addressing reporters after the match, the legendary forward said, “My time with the national team is over.”
Reflecting on his journey with the five-time world champions, Neymar added, “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 during the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Norway, where he converted a stoppage-time penalty. However, the late goal was not enough to prevent Brazil from crashing out following a 2-1 defeat, effectively ending the country’s hopes of clinching a sixth World Cup title.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar leaves the national team as Brazil’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer, having netted 80 goals to eclipse Pele’s long-standing record of 77.
Since making his senior international debut in 2010, Neymar featured in four FIFA World Cups, multiple Copa América tournaments, the FIFA Confederations Cup, and the Olympic Games.
He was instrumental in Brazil’s triumph at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and famously captained the country to its maiden Olympic men’s football gold medal at the Rio 2016 Games.
However, frequent injury setbacks repeatedly hampered his international career, particularly on the World Cup stage. Most recently, a grade two calf muscle injury sustained while playing for Santos ruled him out of Brazil’s opening two matches at the 2026 World Cup tournament.
He eventually returned as a substitute in the team’s final group-stage match against Scotland before making another substitute appearance in the last-16 defeat to Norway, where he registered the final goal of his international career.
Neymar’s retirement signals the end of one of the most successful international careers in Brazilian football history, paving the way for a new generation of talent to lead the nation into future competitions.
