EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Neymar said Sunday he is done playing for Brazil’s national team, making the announcement after he and his teammates were knocked out of the World Cup with a 2-1 loss to Norway in the round of 16.
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“I tried,” Neymar said. “It started here at MetLife Stadium, and I finished here. It is now over.”
Neymar, 34, played his first game for Brazil on Aug. 10, 2010 — a friendly against the U.S. at the stadium in the Meadowlands in northern New Jersey. Against Norway, he scored on a penalty kick in the final minutes after subbing in off the bench.
Because of a nagging right calf injury, Neymar appeared in only two of Brazil’s five games in the tournament. He also was on the field for 15 minutes against Scotland in group play.
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Brazil’s best player for more than a decade had been slowed by injuries in recent years that limited his impact. The country is now entering a period of transition, with the next generation taking over.
“We ask that people will have the patience with the new generation and support them from the get-go,” captain Marquinhos said.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here.