'Gave my blood, my life': Brazil's all-time top scorer Neymar confirms international retirement
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Gave my blood, my life': Brazil's all-time top scorer Neymar confirms international retirement")
'Gave my blood, my life' Brazil's Neymar confirms international retirement Photograph: (AFP)
Brazil's all-time top scorer confirms his retirement from the Seleção following the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Read his emotional reaction and full career highlights.
Brazil’s all-time top goal scorer Neymar has confirmed his international retirement, tearfully declaring that he was done playing for the national side following their exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Brazil's 2-1 Round of 16 defeat, where Neymar scored a stoppage-time penalty, also happened to be his last goal for Brazil.
The former Barcelona winger said he "gave his blood, his life" to Brazil but doesn’t want it anymore.
"My time with the national team is over. I made history, I was very happy, I gave my blood and my life... but now I don't want it anymore," Neymar told journalists after his club Santos defeated Venezuela's UCV 4-2 in the Copa Sudamericana on Tuesday.
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Having not played for Brazil for almost three years, Neymar was shockingly included in the final squad for the showpiece event, and played only 37 minutes across two appearances in his final World Cup.
However, Neymar remains under contract with Santos -- fighting to avoid relegation -- until the end of the year. He scored twice in his first match upon his return, responding to his critics with a tongue-in-cheek goal celebration. Neymar also celebrated with a card-dealing gesture after facing criticism for taking part in a poker tournament while his team-mates were playing a Copa Sudamericana match in Venezuela.
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The attacking winger started on the bench on Tuesday for the return game against the same team, as Santos comfortably sealed a spot in the last 16.
‘More legends say goodbye’
The recently concluded FIFA World Cup in North America marked the end of several A-Listers, who announced their retirement from international football. While Neymar leads the way – being amongst the most decorated of all -- Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, the Netherlands’ captain Virgil Van Dijk, Egyptian legend Mohamed Salah and Germany’s 2014 World Cup winner Manuel Neuer are among those who stepped aside from international football.
While rumours around Cristiano Ronaldo’s run with Portugal coming to an end also made headlines, CR7 is yet to confirm his international retirement. Lionel Messi, Neymar’s close pal at Barcelona, also hasn’t made any announcement around hanging up his boots with Argentina following the heartbreaking loss to Spain in the final.
