New York [US], July 6 (ANI): From Neymar’s tearful farewell to international football to Cristiano Ronaldo declaring the 2026 FIFA World Cup as his last, the tournament has become an emotional stage for two of the game’s greatest icons.
As an era draws to a close, football fans around the world are witnessing the final World Cup journeys of two superstars whose careers have defined a generation.
Neymar announced his retirement from international football after the five-time world champions suffered a stunning 2-1 defeat to Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The 34-year-old forward brought the curtain down on his international career moments after Brazil’s hopes of a sixth World Cup title were ended by Erling Haaland’s late brace, with Neymar scoring a stoppage-time penalty that proved only a consolation.
Reflecting on the end of his journey with the national team, Neymar told reporters, as quoted by ESPN UK, “I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. I started here; I finished here.”
Neymar’s penalty, converted in the 10th minute of added time after Leo Ostigard was penalised for a foul on Casemiro, was his first goal of the tournament. It also took his international tally to 80 goals and 59 assists in 130 appearances for Brazil, further extending his record as the nation’s all-time leading scorer.
His retirement brings to an end one of the most celebrated international careers in Brazilian football. During his time with the Selecao, Neymar helped the country lift the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 and won the Olympic gold medal on home soil at the Rio 2016 Games.
For Brazil, the defeat marked a seventh consecutive World Cup knockout loss to European opposition and their earliest World Cup exit since 1990, while Neymar’s emotional farewell closed the chapter on an era that defined Brazilian football for more than a decade.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo has confirmed that the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the final World Cup of his illustrious career, saying he wants to enjoy every moment of the tournament as his side prepares for a blockbuster Round of 16 clash against Spain.
Addressing the media ahead of Monday’s knockout fixture, the 41-year-old ended speculation surrounding his World Cup future while expressing hope that Portugal’s campaign would continue beyond the last 16.
“I want to enjoy it as much as possible, because it will be my last World Cup, yes. But I hope that tomorrow won’t be my last game in the World Cup,” Ronaldo said, as per OneFootball.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has started all four of Portugal’s matches at the tournament and scored three goals, also dismissed repeated questions about retirement, insisting his focus remains solely on helping the national team.
“I’m always committed, body and soul, to helping the National Team. Whether I’m playing or not, I’ll always have an important role,” he continued.
“I’ll finish [retire] when I want to, not when you want me to. It’s a waste of time to keep asking that question. But I don’t want to draw attention to that. The most important thing is tomorrow,” he added.
Ronaldo’s Portugal will take on Spain in a high-profile FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash. Portugal booked their place with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Round of 32, courtesy of Goncalo Ramos’ stoppage-time winner.
Roberto Martinez’s side are aiming to reach back-to-back World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in the nation’s history. However, Portugal have not won consecutive World Cup knockout matches since 2006.
Spain, meanwhile, have been one of the standout teams of the tournament. Luis de la Fuente’s side advanced to the Round of 16 with a commanding 3-0 win over Austria and became the first team since Germany in the 2014 World Cup final to keep their opponents from registering a single shot on target in a World Cup knockout match.
The Iberian rivals last met at the World Cup in 2018, when Ronaldo produced a memorable hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 group-stage draw. Portugal will now hope their captain can deliver another match-winning display and keep his farewell World Cup campaign alive. (ANI)
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