EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Neymar said Sunday he is done playing for Brazil’s national team, making the announcement after he and his teammates were knocked out of the World Cup with a 2-1 loss to Norway in the round of 16.
“I tried,” Neymar said. “It started here at MetLife Stadium, and I finished here. It is now over.”
Neymar, 34, played his first game for Brazil on Aug. 9, 2010 — a friendly against the U.S. at the stadium in the Meadowlands in northern New Jersey. Against Norway, he scored on a penalty kick in the final minutes after subbing in off the bench.
Because of a nagging right calf injury, Neymar appeared in only two of Brazil’s five games in the tournament. He also was on the field for 15 minutes against Scotland in group play.
Brazil’s best player for more than a decade had been slowed by injuries in recent years that limited his impact. The country is now entering a period of transition, with the next generation taking over.
“We ask that people will have the patience with the new generation and support them from the get-go,” captain Marquinhos said.
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