The end of an era for the Brazilian national team

Following a painful 2–1 defeat to Norway – a result that knocked Brazil out of this year’s World Cup – Neymar, head bowed and with tears in his eyes, stopped for a brief interview on his way to the changing room and summed it all up bluntly: “I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. I started here, I’m finishing here.” (Globo)

The statement, by all accounts, leaves little room for interpretation: it is the announcement of his retirement from the national team.

At 34, the Santos star has had a career marked by ups and downs whilst wearing the Brazil shirt. Although the ending was a bitter one, he leaves behind memories that have transcended borders – extraordinary dribbles, decisive finishes and the rare ability to turn a game around at any moment.

And as he himself suggested, this story began exactly where it ended: at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 9 August 2010, in a friendly against the United States. Still only 18, Neymar made his debut by scoring a goal.

It was not just the brilliance of an inspired debutant – it was a warning of what was to come.

Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer

Over the course of 16 years, in 10 major international tournaments and under eight different managers, Neymar continued to make his mark for the Brazilian national team.

In September 2023, he surpassed Pelé’s tally of 77 goals to become Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer.

By converting Brazil’s penalty in the closing minutes of yesterday’s match, Neymar brought his international career to a close with 80 goals for the Seleção.

Top goalscorers for the Brazilian national team:

  1. Neymar – 80 goals

  2. Pelé – 77 goals

  3. Ronaldo – 62 goals

  4. Romário – 55 goals

  5. Zico – 48 goals

  6. Bebeto – 40 goals

  7. Jairzinho / Rivaldo – 35 goals

  8. Ronaldinho – 33 goals

  9. Ademir de Menezes / Tostão – 32 goals

  10. Zizinho – 30 goals

Among the players still active who also featured in this year’s World Cup, the top scorers behind Neymar are still a long way off his record: Lucas Paquetá, aged 28, and Vinícius Júnior, aged 25, have scored 13 goals each for the national team.

The attacking repertoire

Interestingly, Neymar’s last goal in a Brazil shirt will always be remembered as a penalty – one of the striker’s specialities and also the second most common way in which he has scored for the national team.

Types of goals scored by Neymar for Brazil:

  1. Right-footed shot – 36

  2. Penalty – 22

  3. Left-footed shot – 11

  4. Direct free-kick – 4

  5. Header – 3

  6. Rebound goal – 2

  7. Long-range shot – 1

  8. Solo run – 1

These figures demonstrate Neymar’s versatility as a finisher, capable of scoring goals in virtually every possible way on the pitch.

Goals without borders

It comes as no surprise that most of Neymar’s goals have come against South American sides, but the star has also made his mark against opponents from every continent.

Neymar’s goals for the national team, by opponent’s continent:

  1. CONMEBOL (South America) – 30

  2. AFC (Asia) – 18

  3. UEFA (Europe) – 15

  4. CONCACAF (North and Central America) – 11

  5. CAF (Africa) – 6

The team that suffered most from Neymar’s attacks was Japan – interestingly, the very same side that Brazil beat in this World Cup, albeit without their number 10 in the line-up.

Teams that have conceded the most goals from Neymar whilst he was playing for Brazil:

  1. Japan – 9

  2. Peru – 6

  3. Bolivia / United States – 5

On the other hand, some traditional powerhouses have escaped unscathed: Neymar has never scored against England, Belgium or the Netherlands.

His World Cup record

Even so, the striker ends his career as one of Brazil’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorers, with 9 of his 80 goals for the national team coming in the tournament.

Brazil’s top World Cup goalscorers:

  1. Ronaldo – 15

  2. Pelé – 12

  3. Ademir de Menezes / Jairzinho / Neymar / Vavá – 9

  4. Leônidas da Silva / Rivaldo – 8

  5. Careca – 7

Yesterday’s goal also makes Neymar the oldest player to score for Brazil in a World Cup.

Brazil’s oldest players to have scored in World Cups:

  1. Neymar – 34 years and 150 days

  2. Bebeto – 34 years and 137 days

  3. Casemiro – 34 years and 126 days

  4. Thiago Silva – 33 years and 278 days

  5. Nílton Santos – 33 years and 23 days

In total, Neymar’s nine World Cup goals were scored across the four tournaments he has played in – a feat that places him alongside Pelé as one of only two Brazilians to have scored in four different World Cups. He is also one of just four Brazilian players to have played in four World Cups.

Brazilians who have played in four World Cups:

  • Djalma Santos (1954, 1958, 1962 and 1966)

  • Pelé (1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970)

  • Cafu (1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006)

  • Neymar (2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026)

A career marked by longevity

In terms of total appearances for the national team, Neymar ranks second with 130 matches, behind only Cafu’s record of 143. He is also part of a select group of just eight players in history to have made more than 100 appearances for the Seleção.

Players with the most appearances for the Brazilian national team:

  1. Cafu – 143

  2. Neymar – 130

  3. Roberto Carlos – 127

  4. Dani Alves – 126

  5. Thiago Silva – 113

  6. Marquinhos – 110

  7. Lúcio – 105

  8. Cláudio Taffarel – 102

  9. Robinho – 100

  10. Ronaldo - 99

Marquinhos, who also played for Brazil in this World Cup at the age of 32, still seems a long way off from matching the historic records set by Neymar or Cafu in the future.

The Paris Saint-Germain centre-back captained the Seleção in this tournament – a role Neymar has also held, in 21 matches between 2014 and 2018.

Neymar’s leadership

But Neymar’s leadership went far beyond the armband. His influence was reflected above all in his goals and creative flair, with 59 assists for the national team throughout his career, helping to drive the side forward and keeping the squad competitive right to the end.

One statistic that sums up this impact well: in the 61 matches in which Neymar scored for Brazil, the national team lost only three and drew another three – with 55 wins in total.

Between expectations and frustrations

But, as fate would have it, Neymar’s historic journey with Brazil will also be remembered for the ‘what ifs’.

Despite having played in four World Cups for the Seleção, Neymar never reached a final nor secured the long-awaited sixth World Cup title for the country in the tournament.

Brazil’s World Cup campaigns in which Neymar took part:

  • Brazil 2014 – fourth place (knocked out by Germany)

  • Russia 2018 – quarter-finals (knocked out by Belgium)

  • Qatar 2022 – quarter-finals (knocked out by Croatia)

  • North America 2026 – round of 16 (knocked out by Norway)

This lack of World Cup titles inevitably leads to comparisons with Zico – one of the greatest names in the history of Brazilian football, who likewise failed to lift the trophy. His best performance was third place in 1978.

Most of Brazil’s other great idols, on the other hand, are remembered precisely for their World Cup triumphs – names such as Pelé, Garrincha, Ronaldo, Romário, Ronaldinho, Kaká, Cafu and Roberto Carlos.

In the end, Neymar’s World Cup career did not include a title-winning chapter.

Titles with the ‘Amarelinha’

It would be unfair, however, to say that he has not won any significant titles with the national team as a whole.

Even as a youngster, ‘Menino Ney’ was the top scorer at the 2011 South American Under-20 Championship.

Then, in 2013, he was a key player in Brazil’s victory at the Confederations Cup – the country’s fourth title in the competition’s history. It was also the first time he wore the national team’s number 10 shirt, a historic number worn by the likes of Pelé, Zico, Rivellino, Sócrates, Raí, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaká.

During the tournament, he scored four goals, including one in the final against Spain, and was awarded the ‘Golden Ball’ as the competition’s best player.

He also scored four goals at the following World Cup and, despite having his campaign cut short by an injury in the quarter-finals against Colombia, finished with the FIFA Bronze Boot and was named in the tournament’s Team of the Tournament.

In 2016, he was the star of Brazil’s Olympic campaign in Rio. As captain, he led the team to their first-ever gold medal in men’s football, scoring in the final against Germany. The match ended 1–1 and Brazil won on penalties, with Neymar converting the decisive spot-kick. It was the country’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s football, following three silver medals.

Even though he did not win the Copa América, Neymar was voted the best player of the 2021 tournament, sharing the honour with Lionel Messi – his club team-mate at Barcelona (2013–2017) and Paris Saint-Germain (2021–2023).

Neymar’s honours with the national team:

  • 2011 – South American Under-20 Championship

  • 2013 – FIFA Confederations Cup

  • 2016 – Olympic gold

His career at the ‘Ballon d’Or’

As for the Ballon d’Or, Neymar has been nominated nine times over the course of ten years, finishing third on two occasions – in 2015 and 2017.

Neymar’s nominations for the ‘Ballon d’Or’:

  1. 2011 – 10th place (Santos)

  2. 2012 – 13th place (Santos)

  3. 2013 – 5th place (Santos / Barcelona)

  4. 2014 – 7th place (Barcelona)

  5. 2015 – 3rd place (Barcelona)

  6. 2016 – 5th place (Barcelona)

  7. 2017 – 3rd place (Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain)

  8. 2018 – 12th place (Paris Saint-Germain)

  9. 2021 – 16th place (Paris Saint-Germain)

These early nominations place him amongst the rare Brazilian players to have been nominated for the award whilst still playing for a club in Brazil.

The only other Brazilian to have been nominated so many times for the award is Ronaldo, who was also a two-time winner, in 1997 and 2002.

Brazilians with the most nominations for the ‘Ballon d’Or’:

  1. Neymar / Ronaldo – 9 nominations

  2. Roberto Carlos – 8 nominations

  3. Kaká / Rivaldo / Ronaldinho – 6 nominations

  4. Sonny Anderson / Vinícius Júnior – 4 nominations

  5. Dani Alves / Giovane Élber / Juninho Pernambucano – 3 nominations

A legacy that lives on

So, that’s it.

Although Neymar is set to continue playing for Santos – a club where he is also treated as a legend, ranking amongst the all-time top scorers – this is the end of the road for him in the yellow and green.

A player who enchanted the world with his talent and his flair, with a career marked by incredible goals, dribbles and moments of magic.

Unfortunately, his time with the national team ends without the most coveted trophy of all.

Now, it falls to the next generation to carry on this legacy in future tournaments.