Alex Kirkland
Rodrigo Faez
July 20, 2023, 5:59 a.m. ET
Neymar said he “cried for five days” after Brazil’s elimination from the 2022 World Cup, adding that he was considering retiring from the national team after the quarter-final defeat by Croatia.
The 31-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker has not played for his country since losing on penalties on December 9.
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Neymar gave Brazil the lead with what appeared to be the decisive goal in extra time, before Croatia equalized with three minutes from time and won the penalty shoot-out and advanced to the semi-finals.
“I can’t tell you what was on my mind,” Neymar told YouTuber Casimiro. “It was definitely the most painful defeat of my career. I cried for five days. It hurt me a lot that my dream was shattered.”
“I would rather not have scored the goal so it was 0-0 and lost on penalties than ‘I scored the goal, they equalized and we lost on penalties.’ It’s a pain only the players and staff can understand.
“It was the worst moment of my life. It felt like a funeral, someone was crying on one side, someone else was crying on the other. It was awful, a feeling I don’t want to experience again.”
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Neymar played for Brazil at three World Cups: 2014, 2018 and 2022.
In 2014 they lost 7-1 to eventual winners Germany in the semi-finals on home soil after the striker sustained a back injury in the preliminary round.
Four years later in Russia, Brazil were beaten 2-1 by Belgium in the quarter-finals before being simultaneously eliminated by Croatia in Qatar in 2022.
In an interview with CazeTV, Neymar said that he had considered retiring from the national team after the recent disappointment but is now ready to play again in 2026.
“After [2022] To be honest, I didn’t want the World Cup [return to the Brazil national team]”, he said. “But I’ve changed my mind. Because I’m very hungry, right? I changed my opinion.
Neymar broke down in tears after Brazil were eliminated by Croatia at the World Cup in Qatar. Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images
“After the World Cup, I didn’t want to go through the pain of defeat again. It weighs heavily on me that my family has to suffer so much. But they will have to endure it again. it will be fine It must be.”
Brazil’s qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup begins in September.
CBF have appointed Fluminense’s Fernando Diniz as their new interim head coach on a one-year deal, while pursuing Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti on a long-term basis.
Neymar is back in pre-season at PSG and is now coached by his former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique.
On Friday they play Le Havre in a friendly before embarking on a tour of Japan where they meet Al Nassr, Cerezo Osaka and Inter Milan.
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2023-07-20 20:46:24
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