Neymar stepped forward to seal the gold medal Brazil craved above all others as the five-time World Cup winners became Olympic champions for the first time with a 5-4 penalty shootout triumph over Germany, following a pulsating 1-1 draw at the Maracana.
Usain Bolt took his place among the crowd at a fervently partisan Maracana and national icon Neymar put Brazil ahead with a stunning free-kick.
The Barcelona superstar was an injury absentee when Germany humiliated Brazil 7-1 in the semi-final of their home World Cup in 2014, but Max Meyer made him and a football-crazed nation wait a little longer for redemption.
Extra-time could not produce a winner and there were eight flawless spot kicks until Freiburg striker Nils Petersen, scorer of six goals in the tournament, saw Weverton guess correctly and parry his attempt to safety.
It set the stage perfectly for Neymar to secure the title and banish the memory of the torment Germany inflicted upon Brazil two years earlier.
He did not disappoint, coolly picking out the top-right corner before dropping to his knees and breaking down into tears of joys, while swarmed by team-mates caught up in undiluted delirium.
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