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Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar has expressed his emptiness following Brazil's elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Friday (December 9). The attacker said that he's psychologically down and badly hurt after the Selecao were dumped out on penalties by Croatia in the last eight.
Brazil's World Cup outing ended on a bitter note, as they failed to get the better of Croatia in the quarterfinal. Despite dominating large swathes of the game, Tite's men lacked the cutting edge to subdue their European counterparts and were made to pay for it.
Neymar appeared to have earned victory for his side when he broke the deadlock in the first half of extra time (105th minute). However, a Bruno Petkovic strike in the 117th minute took the game to penalties, where the Selecao suffered a 4-2 loss, with Neymar not taking a spot-kick.
A heartbroken Neymar was seen shedding tears at the end of the game as his teammates consoled him. Hours later, he penned a heartfelt emotional message on Instagram. The PSG superstar expressed his pain amid the setback, adding that he felt Brazil deserved to go all the way.
"Psychologically, this was certainly the defeat that hurt the most, which made me paralysed for 10 minutes and then I burst into tears nonstop," he wrote. "It's going to hurt for a loooong time, unfortunately. We fought until the end, and I'm proud of my teammates because there was no lack of commitment or dedication."
He continued:
"This group deserved it; we deserved it; BRAZIL deserved it…But that was not God's will. It was worth every sacrifice to feel the affection of each one on the field... Thank you all for your support with our selection. Unfortunately it didn't work … it's going to hurt for a long, long time. Thank you for everything my GOD, you gave me everything and I can't complain about anything. Just thank you for taking care of me. All honour and all glory is always for you, regardless of the circumstances."
The post has garnered over 20 million likes. Meanwhile, other Brazilian players, including Gabriel Martinelli and Richarlison, have also made emotional posts of their own following the setback.
Neymar could've played his last World Cup game
In his documentary 'Neymar & The Line Of Kings', produced by DAZN, the PSG superstar said that the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar could be his last appearance in the prestigious tournament.
"I think it (2022) will be my last World Cup," Neymar said. "I am facing it like the last World Cup because I don't know whether I will be able to, mentally, to endure more football. I will do everything possible to get there very well. I will do all I can to win it with my country and realize my dream, the biggest since my boyhood."
The PSG ace scored twice in three games in Qatar, with his second strike drawing him level with Brazil's all-time top scorer Pele (77).
