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Neymar Retires After Brazil's 2-1 World Cup Exit

7/6/2026

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Summary

Neymar Retires After Loss

Neymar retired after Brazil's 2-1 loss to Norway in the Round of 16 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
He entered in the 67th minute and scored Brazil's goal on a penalty in second-half stoppage time.
The defeat marked Brazil's earliest World Cup exit since 1990 and left many fans in tears.
Neymar finished as Brazil's all-time top scorer with 80 goals and second-most caps behind Cafu.

Summary

Norway Advances

Norway reached the quarter-finals and will face the Mexico-England winner on July 11 at Miami Stadium.
Thierry Henry said Neymar could make anyone love the game and that he would have paid to watch him.
Carlo Ancelotti said Brazil must start a new cycle and use the defeat as fuel to rebuild the squad.

History

Historical Context

In the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, Brazil—coached by Sebastião Lazaroni and captained by Ricardo Gomes—were eliminated 1-0 by Argentina in the round of 16, finishing ninth and marking their first use of a 3-5-2 formation. The tournament set a record low average of 2.21 goals per game and 16 red cards, prompting rule changes that later altered the sport’s tactics.

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Neymar Retires After Loss

Neymar retired after Brazil's 2-1 loss to Norway in the Round of 16 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
He entered in the 67th minute and scored Brazil's goal on a penalty in second-half stoppage time.
The defeat marked Brazil's earliest World Cup exit since 1990 and left many fans in tears.
Neymar finished as Brazil's all-time top scorer with 80 goals and second-most caps behind Cafu.

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