Neymar will no longer play for Brazil: More goals than Pelé, but no World Cup titles

After 16 years, the time has come to say goodbye. Neymar Jr. announced his retirement from the Brazilian national team as its all-time leading scorer, but with the bittersweet feeling of not having been able to lead the "Canarinha" to its sixth World Cup title.

"I made history, I was very happy, I gave my blood and my life ... but now I don't want any more of it," the high-profile soccer player told reporters after being asked whether his name would appear again on a roster selected by Brazil's head coach, Italian Carlo Ancelotti.

His farewell to the Canarinha was bittersweet. After nearly three years without wearing the "Verdeamarelha" jersey on the field, Neymar was one of the 26 players called up by Ancelotti for the 2026 World Cup. He played just 37 minutes spread across two matches —14 against Scotland in the group stage and 23 against Norway in the round of 16— and managed to score a penalty kick in his team's loss to the Norwegians, which led to Brazil's elimination from the tournament.

More goals than Pelé, but no World Cup titles

Neymar Jr.'s history with the Brazilian national team cannot be summed up in two or three lines. Ever since he burst onto the international scene at just 18 years old, Brazil—which was lacking star power at the time—found in that young talent the figure who would restore joy and "jogo bonito" to the most successful national team in World Cup history.

His debut with the "Canarinha" came on Aug. 10, 2010. The coach at the time, Mano Menezes, gave him the opportunity to fulfill a dream he'd had since he was a little boy. Neymar's first appearance couldn't have gone better: he scored the first of the two goals with which Brazil defeated the United States. Interestingly, that match was played at the stadium where Neymar played his final professional minutes in the national team jersey.

Over the years, Neymar has racked up 130 international appearances, making him the second-most capped player for Brazil, surpassed only by Cafú. The high-profile soccer player celebrated scoring 80 goals in all those matches, overtaking a legend like Pelé as Brazil's all-time leading scorer.

Where he hasn't come close—not even remotely—to "O Rei" is in the number of titles. Despite having had four opportunities to do so, Neymar failed to lead Brazil to its sixth World Cup trophy, while Pelé was the leader of the "Canarinha" in winning its first three. Nor did he manage to add a Copa América to Brazil's trophy case. Over the past 16 years, "O Príncipe"—as he is popularly known—has only been crowned champion of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

This contrast between his extraordinary individual achievements and the lack of additional titles has sparked an ongoing debate among Brazilian fans, with some criticizing his lack of commitment.