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Associated Press

Neymar walked off the field with teammate Dani Alves by his side, tears still rolling down the Brazil forward’s cheeks.
Other players had already tried to console Neymar as he cried while sitting near midfield, head down, hiding his face.
There wasn’t much they could say to get the team’s biggest star to lift his head up.
Again there was disappointment instead of joy at the end of a World Cup for Neymar. Again he couldn’t lead Brazil to a major title.
It was his third failure at a World Cup, and his only triumphs with the national team are the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, when Brazil won their first gold medal in football.

Neymar said it wasn’t the time to talk about his future with the national team.
“Honestly, I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s hard to talk about it right now,” he said. “It would be too hasty to come here and say that this is it, but I can’t guarantee anything. I have to take some time to think about it. I’m not closing any doors to the Seleção, but I’m also not saying 100 per cent that I want to be back.”
Neymar scored on Friday to move level with Pele as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals, but the Seleção ended up losing to Croatia 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out in the quarter finals after the match finished 1-1 after extra time.
Neymar never had a chance to take a penalty after Rodrygo and Marquinhos missed their spot kicks.
“He would have taken the fifth penalty,” Brazil coach Tite said. “That’s the one with the most pressure, and he would be the player with the most quality and mental preparedness to take the shot.”

Neymar scored his goal in extra time with a right-footed shot after breaking through the defence and dribbling past the Croatia goalkeeper to match Pele’s record. He entered the tournament two goals shy of the milestone, and scored his 76th in the round of 16 against South Korea after returning from an ankle injury.
The 82-year-old Pele showed his support to Neymar from his hospital bed in Brazil, where he was improving while being treated for a respiratory infection that was aggravated by Covid-19.
“I saw you grow, I cheered for you every day and I can finally congratulate you for reaching my number of goals with Brazil. We both know that this is more than a figure,” he wrote on Instagram. “Our biggest duty as athletes is to inspire. Inspire our teammates of today, the next generations and, above all, everyone who loves our sport.
“Unfortunately, this is not the happiest day for us,” Pele added. “My record was set almost 50 years ago, and nobody had managed to get near it until now. You got there, kid. That shows how great your achievement is.”












View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Pelé (@pele)



Brazil were close to returning to the semi-finals for the first time since 2014, but instead Neymar looked in anguish from midfield as Croatia substitute Bruno Petkovic equalised in the 117th minute.
Neymar also didn’t play in the last four of the tournament that Brazil hosted eight years ago. He suffered a serious back injury in the quarter finals against Colombia and then saw his teammates lose 7-1 to Germany.
The 30-year-old Neymar scored his 77 goals in 124 matches for Brazil. Pele’s goals came in 92 appearances with the national team between 1957 and 1971.
Ronaldo, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, is third on the list with 62 goals in 98 matches.

Pele won three World Cups, including when he was 17 years old in the 1958 tournament. He also helped Brazil win the World Cup in 1962 and 1970.
Neymar first played for Brazil as an 18-year-old in 2010. He is the only other Brazil player other than Pele and Ronaldo to score in three different World Cups.
Neymar damaged ligaments in his ankle in Brazil’s opening win against Serbia, and his participation in the rest of the tournament was in doubt because of the injury. He made it back to the starting line-up after missing two group games, and played about 80 minutes in Brazil’s 4-1 win over South Korea on Monday.
The forward has had right ankle problems in the past, being among a series of injuries since the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Another right ankle sprain forced him to miss the 2019 Copa America, which Brazil won.


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Fifa World Cup 2022

Fifa World Cup 2022: Neymar ties Pele’s record but loses again, casts doubt on his Brazil future

Neymar of Brazil cries after the quarter-final loss to Croatia at the 2022 Fifa World Cup. Photo: Xinhua

Neymar (left) of Brazil cries as he walks off the pitch with teammate Dani Alves. Photo: Xinhua

Brazil’s Neymar (front) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal in the first half of extra time. Photo: Kyodo

Neymar sits on the pitch after Brazil lose to Croatia on penalties at the World Cup. Photo: Kyodo

Fifa World Cup 2022: Lionel Messi says Diego Maradona is ‘watching from heaven and pushing us’

Argentina’s Lionel Messi and his teammates celebrate reaching the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar. Photo: Reuters

Lionel Messi celebrates after Argentina’s victory over the Netherlands. Photo: dpa

Argentina’s Lionel Messi and coach Lionel Scaloni celebrate as Argentina progress to the semi-finals. Photo: Reuters

Football writer Grant Wahl dies at World Cup match between Argentina and Netherlands in Qatar

Grant Wahl speaks on a panel discussion at the 2014 Kicking + Screening Soccer Film Festival New York. Photo: TNS

US sportswriter Grant Wahl (right) and US football player Jozy Altidore attend the 2017 St. Luke Foundation for Haiti Benefit hosted by Kenneth Cole at the Garage in New York City. Photo: AFP

A selfie shows Grant Wahl who claimed that he was briefly detained when he tried to enter a World Cup stadium in Qatar while wearing a rainbow shirt in support of the LGBTQ community. Photo: Reuters

Fifa World Cup 2022: Argentina beat Netherlands and go into semis after late-night drama

Lionel Messi celebrates after qualifying to the next round after Argentina defeats the Netherlands in a penalty shoot-out on Friday. Photo: AFP

Wout Weghorst (centre) of the Netherlands celebrates after scoring the equaliser during the World Cup quarter-final against Argentina at Lusail Stadium on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE

 Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Nahuel Molina in action with Netherlands’ Nathan Ake on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez deflects a shot from Netherlands’ midfielder Steven Berghuis during the penalty shoot-out on Friday. Photo: AFP

Argentina’s forward Lautaro Martinez celebrates with teammates after scoring his penalty in the quarter-final against the Netherlands on Friday. Photo: AFP

Fifa World Cup 2022: Brazil crash out in shock loss on penalties to Croatia after extra time drama

Brazil’s Raphinha comforts teammate Neymar as he cries following their team’s defeat in the World Cup quarter finals on Saturday. Photo: dpa

Croatia’s Dejan Lovren, Josko Gvardiol and Lovro Majer celebrate after winning the penalty shootout and qualifying for the semi final as Brazil’s Marquinhos looks dejected. Photo: Reuters

Croatia’s Dominik Livakovic saves a penalty taken by Brazil’s Rodrygo. Photo: Reuters

Croatia’s team members celebrate after the match. Photo: AP

Sport

Football

Neymar casts doubt on future with national team after moving level as all-time leading scorer in quarter-final loss to Croatia
Legendary Pele congratulates him from his hospital bed in Brazil – ‘I saw you grow, I cheered for you every day,’ he says


Brazil star casts doubt on future with national team after moving level as all-time leading scorer with Pele, who congratulates him from hospital bed.


Neymar

Fifa World Cup 2022: Neymar ties Pele’s record but loses again, casts doubt on his Brazil future

Neymar casts doubt on future with national team after moving level as all-time leading scorer in quarter-final loss to Croatia Legendary Pele congratulates him from his hospital bed in Brazil – ‘I saw you grow, I cheered for you every day,’ he says

Neymar casts doubt on future with national team after moving level as all-time leading scorer in quarter-final loss to Croatia

Legendary Pele congratulates him from his hospital bed in Brazil – ‘I saw you grow, I cheered for you every day,’ he says