An emotional Neymar said his international career for Brazil is “over” after his side’s defeat by Norway at the 2026 World Cup.

The 34-year-old came on as a 67th minute substitute with Brazil 2-0 down against Norway in the last-16 tie but could not stop the Selecao being eliminated.

Neymar did score a penalty deep into added time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey but it proved nothing more than a consolation effort in what is set to be his last appearance for his country.

“I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. I started here, I finished here,” said Neymar in an interview with TV Globo following his side’s exit.

Neymar’s debut for Brazil came at the same stadium in August 2010, when he scored in a 2-0 friendly win, external against the United States.

He has gone on to become Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 80 goals, while his 130 appearances for his country puts him second on the all-time list behind Cafu’s 142.

Neymar had not played for Brazil since 2023 amid struggles with injuries before being selected in his country’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

He came on as a late substitute in Brazil’s final group game – a 3-0 win against Scotland – and his only other outing at this summer’s tournament was against Norway.

He was playing at his fourth World Cup – having also played for Brazil at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Scores of teachers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wing, on Monday staged a protest at the National Open University, Dutse-Alhaji, along the Kubwa Expressway in Abuja, demanding the immediate conclusion of the 2024 promotion exercise and an end to what they described as years of stalled career progression.

The aggrieved teachers expressed frustration over what they described as bureaucratic bottlenecks preventing their advancement despite meeting all the requirements for promotion.

The protesters gathered outside the institution, carrying placards and demanding the immediate release of their promotion letters.

They also rejected the “vacancy rule,” which they said civil service authorities had used to deny them career progression despite meeting the required promotion criteria and passing the qualifying examinations.

One of the placards read, “Complete the 2024 promotion exercise now,” while others bore inscriptions such as “Teachers are not pool staff” and “Our services count, not empty chairs.”

According to union leaders, hundreds of qualified teachers have remained on the same grade level for years due to delays in the promotion process, a situation they said has severely affected morale and productivity across public schools in the Federal Capital Territory.

The NUT FCT Wing is demanding the immediate release of all outstanding 2024 promotion letters, full financial implementation of the promotions, and payment of all outstanding entitlements.

The teachers vowed to sustain the protest and withdraw their services until the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the relevant civil service authorities address their demands.

Oliver Glasner is in advanced talks to replace Vitor Pereira as Nottingham Forest head coach, a move which would see the Austrian become the club’s fifth manager in less than a year.

Pereira announced his departure from the club in a statement on Wednesday, saying that it came as a “complete surprise to me and without any warning”.

Glasner is a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace — where he won the FA Cup in 2024-25 and then the Community Shield and Conference League the following campaign — and is set to stay in the Premier League.

The 51-year-old confirmed in January that he would leave Palace at the end of the season after two years in charge.

On Thursday, Forest confirmed Pereira’s coaching staff Filipe Almeida, Luis Miguel, Bruno Moura, Marco Knoop and Pedro Lopes had all left the club alongside the head coach.

Pereira, 57, was appointed Forest head coach in February on an 18-month contract which runs until 2027.

The Athletic reported in May Forest had been planning to show their faith in Pereira by handing the head coach a new long-term contract, but those talks were subsequently put on hold.

“Today marks the end of my journey as head coach of Nottingham Forest,” he said in his statement.

“I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone connected with this incredible football club. Although this decision came as a complete surprise to me and without any warning, I fully respect the club’s right to make the decisions it believes are best for its future.

“Naturally, I am disappointed and saddened. I truly believed in what we were building together, and I leave with a sense of pride in everything we achieved over the past months.

“Together, we enjoyed a memorable end to the season. We secured the club’s Premier League status, reached the semi-finals of the Europa League, and created moments that will stay with me forever. Most importantly, I saw a group of players grow in confidence, belief and togetherness.

“I leave Nottingham Forest with no bitterness or resentment—only respect, gratitude and wonderful memories. Football is full of unexpected moments, and while this chapter has ended sooner than I expected, I will always look back on my time here with pride and affection.”

The Portuguese succeeded Sean Dyche and was Forest’s fourth permanent boss of the season following the departures of Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.

Nuno had led Forest to Europa League qualification the previous season but he departed in September, less than three months after signing a new deal. Postecoglou was appointed his replacement but was dismissed just 39 days later. Dyche took charge of the team in October before his dismissal in February.

Forest were three points above the relegation zone when Pereira was appointed and he subsequently steered his side to Premier League safety with two games of the campaign remaining.

His appointment marked his second managerial spell in the Premier League after guiding Wolverhampton Wanderers to safety during the 2024-25 campaign.