Tears streamed down Neymar's face as he bid farewell to the Brazilian national team following their defeat to Norway, in what was his last international match. The moment was even more symbolic due to a rare coincidence: Neymar scored his first and last goal for the national team in the same stadium, the MetLife, in the United States.
Neymar's international career began on August 10, 2010, in front of more than 77,000 fans, in a friendly match against the United States at MetLife Stadium. At just 18 years old, Neymar made his starting debut and opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a precise header that left goalkeeper Tim Howard with no chance. Nearly 16 years later, in the same venue and even at the same goal, Neymar scored again, this time from a penalty, beating Norway's Ørjan Nyland for what would be his 80th goal for the national team, in his 130th appearance. After the final whistle and Brazil's elimination in the round of 16 of the World Cup, Neymar immediately announced his retirement from the national team.
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This feat raises the question: could Neymar be the first footballer to score his first and last international goal at exactly the same stadium? Although it may seem like a situation that could occur more frequently, especially among great goal scorers, a detailed analysis of the RSSSF archives reveals that it is, in fact, a rarity in international football.
There are other similar examples, but with decisive differences. Jared Borgetti from Mexico also scored in both his debut and farewell matches, but the goals took place in different cities: Mexico City and Monterrey, which are about 900 kilometers apart. Pauli Jørgensen, a Danish legend from the 1920s and 30s, scored two goals in both his debut and last game, but in different stadiums (Aarhus and Copenhagen). The Polish player Wlodzimierz Lubanski did the same, but in Chorzów and Szczecin, also separated by hundreds of kilometers. Zinedine Zidane, for instance, scored two goals in his debut for France in Bordeaux and said goodbye with a goal in Berlin during the 2006 World Cup final.
The closest case is that of Enrique Borja from Mexico, who scored in both his first and last international matches, both held in Mexico City. However, the first was at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario and the last at the Estadio Azteca, which are about 7 kilometers apart.
In the absence of clear and identical examples, Neymar's achievement stands out even more for its uniqueness. Griffin Cant, a fan who brought the issue to discussion, emphasizes the unusual nature: “Neymar's consolation penalty against Norway means that his first international goal, in his debut match, was scored in the same stadium (MetLife) as the last, in his farewell game.” So far, there is no record of another player who has matched this milestone.
This episode not only cements Neymar's status as one of the great names in the history of Brazilian football but also adds a new chapter to the record book of world football. It remains to be seen whether any other international player will ever be able to repeat this unlikely feat.
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