Brazilian football icon Neymar has seemingly confirmed his retirement from international football, stating he no longer wishes to represent his country. The 34-year-old forward, Brazil's all-time leading scorer, made the definitive comments after Santos secured a 4-2 victory over Venezuela's Universidad Central in a Copa Sudamericana match on Tuesday evening.
Neymar told reporters, "I think my time with the national team has already passed. I made history there, and I'm very happy about it. I experienced a lot there, gave my blood and my life, and always fought and battled for the yellow jersey. But I don't think I want it anymore." These remarks echo sentiments he expressed immediately after Brazil's 2-1 World Cup loss to Norway on 5 July, where he suggested his international career was over.
The defeat to Norway marked Brazil's earliest World Cup exit since 1990. Neymar, who made his World Cup debut in 2014 and competed in four global tournaments, concludes his international career with an impressive 80 goals and 58 assists across 130 appearances.