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Rio de Janeiro airport, the door of the chartered plane by the Brazilian Football Confederation slowly closed. There was only one person sitting in the cabin.
The cabin door of the Brazilian Football Confederation's chartered plane slowly closed at the airport in Rio de Janeiro. Only one person sat inside the cabin.
Danilo.
Of the 26-man squad, 25 disbanded on the spot immediately after elimination. Some booked vacation flights, others flew back to their European clubs. They didn't even bother to put on a facade of solidarity. The fragile brotherhood in the locker room shattered with the final whistle. To see if a team is truly dead, don't watch their post-match interviews—watch how they board the plane.
1-2. The numbers on the scoreboard stripped the five-time champions bare. This was Brazil's earliest World Cup exit since 1990. The streak of reaching at least the quarterfinals for eight consecutive tournaments was crushed by a Norwegian. The fig leaf of failing to reach the semifinals in the last three editions was torn off in the round of 16.
Erling Haaland scored a brace, punching two holes in Brazil's defense. But the real killer was the weak legs from the penalty spot. Bruno Guimarães stood over the spot. He took the kick. He missed. He became the first Brazilian to miss a World Cup penalty since 1986. He typed a few words on social media: "The most painful experience in 28 years of life."
Just before the final whistle, Neymar stepped up to the penalty spot. The ball went in. But that goal only changed the score to 1-2; it saved nothing. The 34-year-old Neymar broke down in tears after the match and announced his retirement from the national team. 130 caps, 80 goals. Four World Cups, zero titles. He became the second Brazilian player in history to play in four World Cups without touching a trophy. Facing the cameras, he squeezed out a sentence: "I tried, I tried, now it's over." He turned and walked away, leaving the 24-year title drought to those behind him. The last time Brazilians lifted the trophy was 2002.
The Norwegians stepped over the corpse of the five-time champions to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in their history. Next stop: Miami, to play England.
The players have scattered, but the federation's calculations continue. The Brazilian Football Confederation announced they would retain head coach Carlo Ancelotti, painting a picture for 2030. Ancelotti released a statement saying his heart was broken but expressing confidence in the future being built. The chartered plane has taken off. Danilo looked at the empty cabin. The next World Cup is still four years away.