Neymar appeared to signal the end of his international career on Sunday after Brazil`s World Cup campaign came to a disappointing end with a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the Round of 16.
The veteran forward came off the bench late in the match at MetLife Stadium and converted a penalty deep into stoppage time, but his goal could not prevent Brazil from crashing out as Erling Haaland`s brace sealed a famous victory for Norway.
After the final whistle, an emotional Neymar broke down in tears and was comforted by teammates before briefly speaking to Brazilian broadcaster Globo Esporte.
"I tried and I tried. Now it`s over. It began here and it ends here," the 34-year-old said, hinting that he may have played his final match for Brazil.
Neymar remains Brazil`s all-time leading goalscorer. Fittingly, he scored his first international goal at the same stadium in 2010 during a friendly victory over the United States.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star returned to Brazil`s World Cup squad under coach Carlo Ancelotti despite struggling with injuries over the past two years.
He missed Brazil`s opening two group-stage matches before making his international comeback as a substitute in the team`s 3-0 win over Scotland. Sunday`s defeat to Norway marked only his second appearance of the tournament and his first knockout match.
Although Neymar stopped short of formally announcing his retirement, his comments suggested his long international journey with Brazil may have come to an end.
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