Will Neymar play at a future World Cup for Brazil?
At midfield, in one of the more emotionally gripping post-match scenes, Brazilian forward Neymar was consoled by the son of Croatian forward Ivan Perisić after a tearful embrace with Alves.
On Friday, Brazil’s Neymar admitted he was unsure whether he would play for the national team at another World Cup after his country’s shocking quarterfinal exit to Croatia.
After Marquinhos’ miss in a penalty shootout, which gave Croatia a 4-2 win, Neymar cried. His team was number one at the time and was playing in the World Cup for the third time.
“Because of the heat of the moment, I think talking now is bad. I don’t know what I’m thinking. I might be rushing myself, but I can’t guarantee anything either. We’ll see what happens next,” ESPN reported, citing the New York Post.
In November, Neymar hinted that Qatar could be his last World Cup.
“I can’t guarantee that I’ll play another World Cup,” he said. “I genuinely don’t know whether or not I’ll play again. I’ll play like it is the finale. Maybe I’ll play another one, maybe not. It depends on the coaching change and whether the coach likes me.”
Brazil’s crushing loss capped a bittersweet day for Neymar, the Paris Saint-Germain forward whose first-half goal, which put Brazil on top momentarily, tied him with Pele as his country’s all-time leading scorer. It was his 77th goal in 124 international matches.
He said, “I want to take this time to think about myself, to think about what I want for myself.”
“I haven’t ruled out playing for Brazil, nor have I made my return to the squad a certainty.”
The 30-year-old scored twice at the World Cup, finally entering the back of the net in a 4-1 demolition of South Korea in the last 16 after he missed two group stage games due to an ankle injury he sustained in the team’s opening match against Serbia.
Brazil’s fifth and decisive penalty was awarded to Neymar, but Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković denied him the opportunity by shutting down Rodrygo then Marquinhos’s shot hit the post.
“Brazilian coach Tite said the player who has the most mental skills and quality should be in charge of the penalty kick in the last minute of play. He should have taken the fifth penalty to win the game.”
Brazil’s Tite resigned as coach following a crushing 7—1 defeat to Croatia.
“The game is finished, and I keep my word,” Tite, 61, said after Friday’s game.
“There are other excellent professionals who can take my place. When Dominik Livaković, the Croatian goalkeeper, is the greatest player on the pitch, the game is telling you that. We needed to be more effective in scoring goals, but did Brazil demonstrate their finest performance? Yes, as a whole.”
Despite a storied career, Neymar, who has not yet lifted a World Cup, was a key part of Brazil’s quarterfinal run in Russia four years ago when the team was defeated by Belgium. He has won two LaLiga titles, four Ligue 1 titles, a Champions League trophy, and a Copa Libertadores.
Veteran Brazil defender Dani Alves, who consoled Neymar on the field following the Croatia match, also said he will be retiring from international play but will continue competing in club leagues.
