Neymar had a heated exchange with Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland after scoring a consolation penalty in Brazil's 2-1 World Cup last-16 defeat. The 34-year-old former Barcelona and PSG winger, whose place in the squad had been debated, came off the bench with the score goalless. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored a late brace to send Norway into the quarter-finals, eliminating the most successful team in World Cup history.
Penalty Mind Games
Norway goalkeeper Nyland tried to unsettle Neymar before the spot-kick, with the pair sharing a fiery exchange before the referee blew his whistle. Nyland was in confident mood having earlier saved a penalty from Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes after a contentious VAR review. According to DAZN, Neymar repeatedly asked Nyland 'where do you want it?' before taking the penalty, with the Norway goalkeeper responding: 'I'll stop it for you, I'll stop it'.
Neymar calmly slotted past Nyland and then trotted up to his opponent, exchanging more words. After scoring, Neymar was heard telling Nyland: 'Not to me! Not to me!' – essentially telling his rival not to try mind games on a player of his level.
Reaction and Retirement
Neymar is an icon in Brazil, having surpassed Pele as the nation's top goalscorer in 2023. But some Brazilian fans were frustrated by his reaction after the penalty, as he seemed more concerned with goading Nyland than retrieving the ball for a late equaliser. One fan posted on X: 'Neymar giving big ones to Nyland, who already saved a penalty this game and has won the game and is heading to the quarter-finals. Embarrassing.'
Neymar was in tears after the elimination was confirmed and announced his international retirement, saying: 'I tried again and again. Now, it's over.' Legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti, who took over Brazil last year, said: 'I think we are all extremely sad, because I see that the team has delivered not an exceptional World Cup but a good one. I also think that in today's match we deserved to win. When you go through a moment like this, you have to think that the loss is the beginning of a new adventure, and a new season.'
