Neymar Jr., the star forward for the Brazil national team, announced his retirement from international soccer on Sunday after Brazil's 2-1 defeat to Norway in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. The loss marked the end of his World Cup career and Brazil's quest for their first title since 2002.
Neymar's final match was characterized by a chippy encounter with Norway's goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. After scoring a stoppage-time penalty, Neymar approached Nyland, smiling and laughing, and appeared to taunt the Norwegian keeper. Nyland lightly shoved Neymar away, but the Brazilian forward continued his apparent taunting as he backed off.
Neymar entered the match in the 68th minute. Brazil's head coach Carlo Ancelotti had opted to keep him on the bench for tactical reasons, despite Neymar being healthy after earlier injury issues.
Earlier in the game, Neymar received a yellow card following an aggressive play that led to a scrum. After the final whistle, Neymar was seen on his knees, appearing to shed tears, and was consoled by teammates on the field.
Norway secured their victory with two late goals from Erling Haaland. The defeat leaves Brazil facing a period of transition, with Ancelotti acknowledging the need for new, high-level young players to emerge in Brazilian football for the national team's future.