Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar was left in tears after his side suffered a 1-0 Champions League final loss to Bayern Munich in Lisbon.
The Ligue 1 champions succumbed to their German opponents due to a Kingsley Coman header shortly before the hour mark, and the 28-year-old was unable to inspire a comeback as Bayern kept the French outfit at arm’s length.
Neymar, who was consoled in the dugout by sporting director Leonardo at full-time, had one of the outstanding opportunities in the opening period of the game but was denied by an inspired Manuel Neuer, who also stopped a tame effort from Kylian Mbappe before the break.
It leaves the Brazil international star sitting on a single Champions League success, that claimed when he was a member of the Barcelona squad that defeated Juventus 3-1 in 2015. On that occasion, he rounded the scoring off.
He left the Catalans in 2017 to make a world-record move to PSG and has been seeking to justify that controversial decision since then by writing himself into the history of the Parc des Princes side by winning European football’s biggest prize as well as claiming individual honours for himself.
Neymar can't hide his disappointment 😢#UCLfinal | #UCL | #PSGFCB pic.twitter.com/G3EPmYJkgG
— Goal (@goal) August 23, 2020
A divisive character throughout his career, he has been winning plaudits in recent months for a more mature and focused approach to the game, which critics believe is bringing the best out of his game for the team.
Previous tilts at the European Cup have ended in disappointment for the former Santos youth, who suffered foot injuries, which prevented him from featuring in vital matches against Real Madrid and Manchester United.
This was Les Parisiens’ best ever run in the competition, overcoming Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta and RB Leipzig in the knockout stages before failing at the final hurdle.
It marks the end of a long season for Neymar, who played 26 times over the course of an injury-hit campaign and scored 19 goals while creating 12 more.
Thoughts will have to quickly turn back towards their Ligue 1 title defence, with the French top flight having started over the weekend.
PSG’s first domestic match of the 2020-21 season will come next Saturday, when they travel to newly-promoted Lens, while a derby with Marseille follows after the September international break.