Neymar Steps Down as Brazil Captain Following Rio 2016 Olympics

Brazil forward Neymar will step down as the national team captain after leading his side to football gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The Barcelona star scored the winning penalty in a shootout victory against Germany on Saturday at the Maracana Stadium, much to the delight of the home crowd. In the aftermath, Neymar expressed his intention to let someone else lead the team going forward.

“Today I have become a champion, and I give up the captain’s armband,” the 24-year-old said, per SporTV (via Soccerway, h/t ESPN FC). “It was an honour to be captain, but from today I stop being captain. I will send a message to [senior coach] Tite that, from now, he can look for another captain.”

For plenty in Brazil, this victory was seen as redemption following the team’s humiliation in the FIFA World Cup two years ago, when they lost 7-1 to Germany in the semi-final.

It was a match that Neymar didn’t feature …

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