The World Cup in Qatar could mark the farewell of Neymar, 30, from the Brazilian national team. Shaken after the defeat to Croatia this Friday (9), on penalties, the number 10 said he needs to think about his future.
“I don’t close the doors to the national team, but neither do I say 100% that I’m going back. That’s why I want to think a little more about all this”, said the player after the elimination in the quarterfinals.
The comment differs from what Neymar himself said in an interview in October 2021, for the documentary “Neymar Jr & The Line of Kings”, when he said that “I think 2022 is my last World Cup. I know if I will have more conditions, head on, to endure more football.”
All of this encompasses the entire four-year cycle until the next World Cup, in 2026, when the striker will be 34 years old. “A lot to think about now, to reason with. I don’t want to say anything with a hot head,” he told reporters in the mixed zone.
“I don’t know. After the game, I felt really bad too. It’s hard to assimilate what’s happening. It seems like a nightmare. But now it’s taking the family, hugging the people closest to us, from where we will take comfort. This defeat will hurt for a long time”, he mused.
Neymar commented that he spoke with the group about the period in which they lived together, which marks the farewell of some names from the national team. “I talked about this whole cycle, those days when we were together, everything goes by very quickly. Some people’s career ends in the national team, young people arrive, we made many friends. I’m happy to have been part of this group. Unfortunately we didn’t crown it this group with the victory. Now it’s just regret, it’s a moment of great sadness.”
Neymar could have left the field a hero. For a few minutes, he lived that feeling. It was his goal that opened the scoring at the Cidade da Educação stadium, in the first half of extra time. There were about 5 minutes left for Brazil to confirm their place in the semifinals when Petkovic equalized and provoked a penalty shootout.
Asked about the moment when Brazil conceded the tie, the PSG player said he didn’t see the move properly, and preferred not to comment. “I haven’t even seen the bid yet, but it’s in a detail that you lose the classification. I don’t want to say anything without seeing the bids, without seeing what happened in the game, but I don’t think there is anyone to blame. We won together and we lost together.”
The young Rodrygo, 21, and the experienced Marquinhos, 28, wasted their kicks. The number 10 didn’t even have his turn, but he exonerated the two teammates, especially the Real Madrid athlete, with whom he is a very good friend.
“Rodrygo is a boy, very young. I always told them that the responsibility was mine because I’m one of the oldest. Rodrygo is a great player and wanted to hit. Only those who hit miss. Not only him but all of us will learn from that”, commented.
In his third Cup, the balance is not the most positive for Neymar, who arrived in good physical shape. However, after the first match – a 2-0 win against Serbia –, an ankle injury kept the striker out of the rest of the first phase.
Without Neymar, Brazil struggled to beat Switzerland, 1-0, and was defeated with a reserve team by Cameroon, also by the minimum score. The striker’s best game was in the round of 16, against South Korea, in which he was named the player of the game after the 4-1 victory.
The number 10 shirt also thanked the fans before leaving the Cidade da Educação stadium. “I’d like to thank the Brazilian fans for their support, affection and respect. To say that, unfortunately, we didn’t achieve our goal, our dream, but that’s part of football, it happens. And now it’s time to go home and regret it.”
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