East Rutherford (New Jersey) [US], July 7: Neymar cried bitter tears after his last appearance for Brazil while coach Carlo Ancelotti extended his hand to pick the distraught star up from the ground after the record winners' latest World Cup drama.
Ancelotti's gesture was symbolic as the whole Selecao - and probably the whole of Brazil - needs a lift after the worst World Cup result in 36 years and the fifth and so far last title also 24 years in the past.
Brazil's end came in the form of a 2-1 defeat against Norway in the round of 16 in the stadium which also hosts the final on July 19.
"We must now find new ideas. It is not the end, it is the beginning of a new time," Ancelotti said. "We will start again from tomorrow."
Captain Marquinhos said: "Now a new phase starts. We don't know what will happen, I hope that the fans and Brazilian people will be patient with us. We made mistakes. We must apologise and learn from the mistakes."
Brazil have undergone plenty of overhauls since the last title in 2002 with the likes of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Kaka, who were in attendance on Monday.
The required rebuild will take place without Neymar as the 34-year-old said that is ending his 16-year career in the team after 130 games and 80 goals.
Neymar's nomination to the squad was controversial. The player is far from his best days on the pitch, was called up by Ancelotti despite an injury and only featured in two games as a substitute.
"I tried, I tried. Now it's over. I started here, I'm done here," Neymar said, recalling that he made his debut for Brazil in 2010 in the New Jersey stadium where the clash against Norway was held.
Ancelotti has fewer stars Ancelotti was signed last year during a difficult qualifying campaign as the first foreigner at the helm of the Selecao and has had his contract renewed until the next World Cup in 2030.
The Italian has won the Champions League five times and national titles in all of Europe's top five leagues in Italy, England, Spain, Germany and France.
But Brazil is a different story and the proud football nation no longer has an abundance of stars that can make them serious title contenders again.
Apart from the 2014 home event, where they were shocked 7-1 by eventual champions Germany after Neymar injured himself in the previous match, Brazil have not even reached the semi-finals since their 2002 glory.
Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior was the only player to really convince with his four goals. Matheus Cunha managed three goals while Barcelona's Raphinha was out injured after two matches.
Things may have gone a different way had Bruno Guimaraes converted a first penalty early in the match, and Brazil eventually suffered their first defeat of the tournament thanks to the brilliance of Erling Haaland - a deadly forward Brazil no longer have within their ranks.
Criticism at home started after an opening draw with Morocco.
Performances improved through Ancelotti's calm and pragmatic but approach Brazil never looked like a real contender.
Ancelotti said that "we didn't play a spectacular World Cup, but a good one". However, "good" is not considered good enough in Brazil as four rocky years await them until the next attempt although Marquinhos remained defiant.
"The next World Cup is in four years and we want to win it," the captain insisted.
Neymar hinted that he is set to retire from international football.
"I tried, I tried. Now it's over. I started here, I'm done here," Neymar said, recalling that he made his debut for Brazil in 2010 at the MetLife Stadium - where the clash against Norway was held.
The defeat resulted in the worst campaign by the Brazilian team since the 1990 World Cup. If he does indeed retire from the national team, Neymar will end his career with 80 goals and 58 assists in 130 games. His only title with Brazil's senior team was the Confederations Cup in 2023. He also won
a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics, but as part of the under-23 team.
Neymar missed the first two games in the group stage. In the last one, against Scotland, he started on the bench before coming on in the 76th minute. That was his first appearance for the national teamsince 2023.
Source: Qatar Tribune
