Brazil star Neymar cut a tearful figure at the final whistle of the Copa America final after Argentina defeated his side 1-0.
Angel Di Maria struck the winner in Brazil’s iconic stadium, lobbing Ederson with a sumptuous first half effort.
Yet the Brazil star appeared to come to terms with the defeat quickly enough – soon after Argentina got their hands on the trophy, Neymar was pictured laughing alongside his old team-mate Messi, who he played alongside at Barcelona.
The duo shared a tender moment on the pitch after the final whistle, with Messi consoling Neymar shortly before he went up to lift the trophy.
Neymar was spotted promptly removing his runner-up medal shortly after receiving it in the ceremony after the match.
Despite Neymar’s valiant efforts, he was unable to haul Brazil back into the game in the second half.
Neymar struggled to find a way through a stubborn Argentina defence that had been set up by their coach, Lionel Scaloni.
As the game went on, Argentina appeared to set in and hold on to their 1-0 lead. Early in the second half, Richarlison found the back of the net but his goal was rightly ruled out for offside.
Neymar had a free-kick from 30 yards in the first half, shortly after Di Maria had scored, but he smashed his effort into the Argentina wall.
Gabriel Barbosa went close late on but Argentina held on and Messi finally got his hands on a trophy at international level.
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