Neymar Achieves Rare Milestone in International Career

Brazilian star Neymar has wrapped up his international career with a rare historic achievement, scoring both his first and last international goals at MetLife Stadium in the United States, becoming the first known player to accomplish this feat, according to The Guardian.

Neymar made his international debut for Brazil on August 10, 2010, against the United States at MetLife Stadium, where he scored his first goal for the "Seleção" with a header after 28 minutes, leading his country to a 2-0 victory in a friendly match.

Nearly 16 years later, Neymar returned to the same stadium for his final international match against Norway in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, scoring Brazil's only goal from a penalty, marking his 80th goal in his 130th international appearance. However, this did not prevent Brazil from losing 2-1 and being eliminated from the tournament, after which he announced his retirement from international play.

The Guardian noted that it reviewed the records of the top international scorers in history and found no other player who opened and closed their international career by scoring in the same stadium, highlighting that the closest case was Mexican striker Enrique Borja, who scored his first and last international goals in Mexico City, but at different stadiums.