Brazil’s all-time leading scorer Neymar has officially confirmed his retirement from international football, bringing the curtain down on a career that spanned more than 16 years with the national team. The 34-year-old gave an update on the decision after Santos secured a 4-2 victory over Venezuela’s Universidad Central in the Copa Sudamericana, ending speculation over his international future following Brazil’s exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Brazil’s campaign ended in the Round of 16 after a defeat to Norway, with Neymar making what turned out to be his final appearance for the five-time world champions.

The veteran forward said he leaves the national team with no regrets, insisting he had always given everything while representing his country.

“My time with the national team is over. I made history, I was very happy, I gave my blood, my life, I always fought for the yellow jersey, but now I don’t want to anymore,” Neymar said after the match as quoted by Goal.com

The announcement marks the end of one of the most decorated international careers in Brazilian football. Neymar finishes as Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer and represented the country in multiple FIFA World Cups, Copa America tournaments and Olympic competitions.

Attention has now shifted fully to his club career with Santos, where he also addressed recent reports claiming he had criticised and intimidated younger teammates in the dressing room following a league match.

The former Brazil captain dismissed those reports, saying his comments after the game were aimed only at demanding higher standards from the team.

“It is sad and annoying, but it is not my fault. These stories reach a lot of people,” Neymar said.

“I spoke after the match, demanded better, and said we could not afford to be so careless. You cannot give away a draw like that. As captain, I have every right to say that. Lucas Verissimo and Gabigol also spoke to the players,” he added.

Despite the off-field speculation, Neymar played his part in Santos’ 4-2 win over Universidad Central, helping the Brazilian club advance to the Round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana, where they will face Ecuadorian side Macara.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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PSG’s Bradley Barcola verbally agrees to join Liverpool, but clubs apart on valuation, Real Madrid have no plans to sell Vinicius Jr and Everton want around £70m for Iliman Ndiaye.

Paris St-Germain and France forward Bradley Barcola, 23, has verbally agreed to join Liverpool, but there is no certainty over a move as there is a significant gap between the two clubs on the fee. (L’Equipe – in French), external

Barcola’s possible move to Liverpool could lead to Ligue 1 champions PSG trying to beat Real Madrid to the signing of Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, 19, from RB Leipzig. (L’Equipe – in French), external

Real Madrid do not intend to sell 26-year-old Brazil forward Vinicius Jr, whose contract with the Spanish club runs out next summer, and are confident he will agree a new deal with the club. (Sky Sports), external

Newcastle United sources insist the club are not in talks with Arsenal over a deal to sell Magpies skipper Bruno Guimaraes, 28, to the Gunners and the Tyneside club expect the Brazil international to return to training on Friday. (Northern Echo), external

Bayern Munich have no plans to sell Colombia forward Luis Diaz, despite reported interest from Al-Hilal, and the 29-year-old has told the German champions he wants to stay with them. (Sky Sports Germany), external

Everton will demand around £70m for Senegal winger Iliman Ndiaye, 26, amid interest from Manchester United and Al-Hilal. (Mirror), external

Manchester United are willing to let Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee leave and are in talks with Juventus about a deal for the 25-year-old. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian) , external

Nottingham Forest are close to securing a 40m euros (£34m) deal to sign 22-year-old Ivory Coast centre-back Ousmane Diomande from Sporting. (A Bola – in Portuguese), external

Coventry City have agreed a club record deal worth an initial £22.5m deal to sign English goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, 25, from Brighton. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, 27, is training with Crystal Palace having left Ajax in the summer, but no talks have taken place about the Japan international joining the Eagles. (Talksport), external

Every successful era in WWE has been defined by stars the company was determined to build. Sometimes those decisions resonate with fans, while other times it becomes a matter of frustration for them. Ever since Triple H took creative control of WWE, he has pushed several superstars into the spotlight. But not every superstar received a good response from fans.

It has been mainly because of how manufactured their push felt. There have been times when fans resisted seeing certain superstars in the big spots and marquee storylines. However, the creative team continued to thrust them into major programs, leading to frustrations among fans. The current roster of RAW and SmackDown faces the same recurring issue in recent times.

Here are five WWE superstars that Triple H is shoving down fans’ throats:

#5. Jade Cargill

The push behind Jade Cargill has been relentless from the moment she arrived in WWE. Triple H has booked her as an unstoppable force, positioning The Storm in marquee spots and giving her major championship reigns. Despite her relative inexperience, WWE has constantly given Cargill prominent feuds, high-profile matches and big storylines. Even when fans showed disinterest, the company forcibly kept pushing her on major spots and title reigns.

The Storm receives champion-level exposure and creative protection even when her character has started to lose its spark. Rather than allowing her to refine her craft organically and improve her promo skills, management continues to feature Jade Cargill in dominant wins over seasoned veterans. Her constant mainevent showcase therefore feels heavily manufactured, giving off the impression that WWE is prioritizing her marketability and physical aura.

#4. Danhausen

Danhausen is one of the most fascinating characters in WWE right now, and there’s no denying it. His eccentric cursed persona has received an unexpected mainstream boost, becoming a major attraction in recent times. But there was a time when Danhausen’s segment looked actually fresh and exciting. However, Triple H has been featuring the 35-year-old excessively across all platforms to the point where his segments and TV times look superfluous.

The company has been showcasing the same backstage segments where Danhausen is experimenting in his lab. Besides, his “You are cursed” gimmick has been exploited to the point where it no longer feels like a major thing. WWE’s overexposure of Danhausen has eroded the uniqueness of his character, making a lot of fans frustrated. The constant cursing bits and redundant occupying of screentime every week make it feel like forced comedy relief.

#3. Austin Theory & #2. Bron Breakker (The Vision)

Bron Breakker and Austin Theory are two superstars that Triple H is arguably shoving down our throats. As the central focal point of The Vision, they have dominated Monday Night Raw’s main event landscape. Triple H has protected Breakker by constantly booking him as an unstoppable force. Meanwhile, Theory continuously lands in prominent storylines and tag team gold despite receiving mixed crowd reactions.

The perception of them being forcibly pushed comes from how heavily scripted their dominance feels. Week after week, The Vision wreaks havoc and stands tall on Monday Night Raw, eclipsing everyone under their shadow. The amount of push The Vision receives does not quite align with the individual members’ character. While Austin Theory doesn’t look believable, Bron Breakker has lost his credibility of late by suffering setbacks when it mattered the most.

#1. WWE star Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes remains Triple H’s ultimate pet project, often centered in main event title chases and marquee matches. As the undisputed face of the company, the 41-year-old occupies an overwhelming amount of WWE’s weekly television, promotional material and many event slots. Hunter’s booking treats Rhodes as a nearly invincible hero who rarely loses and regularly closes PLEs. The core issue lies in how WWE sacrifices every other superstar just for the sake of The American Nightmare.

Drew McIntyre had to drop his world title just because Triple H wanted Cody Rhodes to walk into WrestleMania 42 as champion. Sami Zayn had to lose his world title in just nine days only because the company wanted to put Cody in the title picture with Punk at SummerSlam. It gave rise to a collective perception as if the company revolves only around The American Nightmare. This is a clear example of how Triple H has been shoving Cody Rhodes down fans’ throats.