Neymar's final Brazil goal makes World Cup history after tense exchange with Norway keeper

Neymar's international career ended where it all began.

The Brazilian superstar made his senior debut for Brazil at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in 2010 and marked the occasion with a goal.

Sixteen years later, he returned to the very same stadium for what proved to be his final appearance for the Seleção and scored once again.

"It started here and I finished here. It is now over," an emotional Neymar said after Brazil's 2 1 defeat to Norway, which ended Brazil's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.

"I tried. I tried."

A comeback few thought possible

Simply making the World Cup was an achievement in itself.

Neymar underwent surgery and missed several months with Santos before rediscovering his form to earn a place in Brazil's World Cup squad. Just weeks before the tournament, another injury threatened to end his dream before it had even begun.

He recovered in time for Brazil's final group match against Scotland before producing one last memorable moment in the famous yellow shirt against Norway.

Deep into stoppage time, with Brazil's World Cup dream slipping away, goalkeeper Nyland attempted to distract Neymar before he stepped up to take a penalty.

The pair exchanged a few words, but the Brazilian remained ice cool, calmly sending the keeper the wrong way to score what would become the final goal of his international career.

It was a moment that summed up Neymar's composure and determination, but it came far too late to alter the outcome.

Moments later, the final whistle confirmed Norway's famous 2 1 victory, ending Brazil's World Cup campaign and bringing the curtain down on one of the greatest international careers in the nation's history.

One last record

Although Brazil's World Cup ended in heartbreak, Neymar still left with another remarkable milestone.

His goal made him only the second Brazilian after Pele to score in four different FIFA World Cups. He also joined Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Miroslav Klose, Uwe Seeler and Ivan Perisic as the only players to have scored in at least four separate World Cup tournaments.

For a player whose World Cup hopes looked over just weeks before the tournament, simply returning to the pitch was an achievement. The dream of lifting the World Cup never became reality, but he refused to give up, fighting back from surgery and another injury setback to wear Brazil's colours one last time.

Neymar leaves the Selecao as Brazil's all time leading goalscorer with 80 international goals. Across an illustrious international career, he represented his country at four World Cups, won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013, Olympic gold on home soil at Rio 2016, Olympic silver in London in 2012 and finished runner up at the 2021 Copa América.

He did not get the ending he had dreamed of. His final goal could not save Brazil from elimination, but it ensured that his final act in the famous yellow shirt was another piece of World Cup history, scored at the very stadium where his journey with the national team had begun 16 years earlier.

But it all ended in tears.

Neymar did not get the international ending he had dreamed of, falling short of winning both the World Cup and the Copa América with Brazil. Yet what a maverick he has been.

It was a privilege to watch one of football's most gifted players light up the game.