London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 19, 2025

Neymar says ‘psychologically destroyed’ by Croatia World Cup loss

Neymar says ‘psychologically destroyed’ by Croatia World Cup loss

‘I am psychologically destroyed,’ the Brazilian forward wrote on his Instagram account, which has received 18.8m likes.

Brazil’s Neymar said his team’s elimination from the 2022 World Cup following a devastating penalty shootout loss to Croatia has “psychologically destroyed” him.

Seleçãol were knocked out on Friday by Croatia in a stunning 4-2 quarterfinal penalty showdown that left Neymar in tears.

“I am psychologically destroyed,” Neymar said in an Instagram post on Saturday. “It is definitely the defeat which has hurt me the most, which left me paralysed for 10 minutes after the match, after which I burst into tears without being able to stop.”

“It is going to hurt for a very long time, unfortunately,” he said.

His revelatory Instagram post has tallied more than 18.8 million likes and counting.



Neymar, who hinted this could be his final World Cup, said he was unsure on Friday whether he’d return to the Brazil side for another run at the Coupe Du Monde.

“Honestly, I do not know,” Neymar, 30, told reporters in Al Rayyan, Qatar, after the heartbreaking defeat.

But in response to Neymar’s emotional Instagram post on Saturday, Brazilian football legend Pele urged him to, “continue to be an inspiration”.

On Friday, Neymar had put Brazil on pace to cement a semifinal place by notching the game’s first goal in the first half of extra time, tying him with Pele as his country’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 124 international matches. But Croatia, who tallied an equaliser in the dying minutes of added time, ultimately snuck away with a victory on penalties, stunning Brazil.

Brazil’s Neymar at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on November 24, 2022


Neymar broke down in tears in midfield after his teammate Marquinhos’ shot rang off the post, giving Croatia the win.

He had been slated to take the fifth penalty shot that never was.

In a remarkable and touching post-match moment, Brazilian defender Dani Alves quickly came to his aid, embracing a weeping Neymar as he absorbed his fate.

“He should have taken the fifth and decisive penalty,” Brazilian coach Tite told reporters after the game. “The player with the most quality and mental skills is the one to be in charge in the moment when the pressure is high.”

Pele, 82, who was hospitalised earlier this month for a respiratory infection amid a cancer diagnosis, also congratulated Neymar for tying his record in an Instagram post of his own.

“I saw you grow up, I cheered for you every day and finally I can congratulate you on equalling my number of goals with the Brazilian National Team,” wrote Pele. “We both know that it’s much more than a number. Our greatest duty as athletes is to inspire.”

He again called Neymar a national “inspiration”.

“Unfortunately, the day is not the happiest for us, but you will always be the source of inspiration that many aspire to become,” the football great added. “I’ve learned as time goes by the more our legacy grows. My record was set almost 50 years ago, and no one has come close to it until now. [You] got there boy.”

A Brazilian supporter at the Croatia-Brazil match at Education City Stadium on December 9, 2022


Emotions were running high for Brazilian fans in Doha and around the world after Brazil’s unexpected departure from the tournament.

“The sadness is too much,” Brazil supporter Paolo Souza told Al Jazeera after Friday’s match at Education City Stadium. “We had the best team in the world.”

Indeed, Brazil had been ranked number one by FIFA heading into the 2022 World Cup. And for many fans of the South American team – who will now have to wait another four years for a shot at redemption – the loss struck a nerve.

“We were very confident that we could win it this year but it was not meant to be,” Souza said.

“The defeat is so painful.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
×