Brazil boss Tite heads for the exit door following World Cup loss

Tite suggested his time as Brazil coach is over but defended his penalty tactics after they crashed out of the World Cup to Croatia while Neymar said he was unsure if he would play for his country again.

Marquinhos’ decisive spot kick hit the post after Dominik Livakovic had saved Rodrygo’s opening effort in the shootout to send Croatia into the last four with Neymar never getting a chance to step up.

Croatia did not miss with Nikola Vlasic, Lovro Majer, Luka Modric, Mislav Orsic all scoring to send them through 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

Neymar had given Brazil the lead in the first-half of extra time – the Paris St Germain star equalling Pele’s Brazil scoring record with 77 FIFA-registered goals – only for Bruno Petkovic to level with three minutes left.

But it was heartbreak for Neymar and Brazil with the striker due to go fifth in the shootout, yet there was no regret from Tite.

He said: “The fifth is the decisive one, there is more pressure and the players who are more mentally prepared are the ones to take this last penalty kick.

“The players know about my commitment and they know how proud I am of their performance. It’s the entire team who loses.

“We need to be ready to share our joy and willing to share our sadness. There is a new generation of players who will find strength in adversity. I understand I am the most responsible one but we are all responsible for the loss.

“It’s not about being a hero or a villain. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.”

Tite hinted he is ready to walk away following Brazil’s exit.

“There are other great professionals who can replace me. Now I had the full (World Cup) cycle. The cycle is over,” he added.

For Brazil’s players, the defeat, a fifth successive World Cup exit at the hands of European opposition, came as a bitter disappointment but they insisted life had to go on.

“It’s difficult. You have to lift your head,” Brazil captain Thiago Silva said. “I’m very proud of the boys and what we’ve done, but unfortunately, it’s part of football.

“When we lose something important that we had as a goal, it hurts a lot.

“But now it’s time to try to lift my head and carry on. There’s no other alternative. I’m a guy that every time I fall, I get up.”

Neymar said he was unsure if he would play again for Brazil.

“Honestly, I do not know. I think talking now is bad because of the heat of the moment. Maybe I’m not thinking straight,” an emotional Neymar told reporters.

“To say that this is the end would be rushing myself, but I don’t guarantee anything either. Let’s see what happens going forward.

“I want to take this time to think about it, think about what I want for myself. I will not close the door to playing with Brazil, nor do I say 100% that I’ll come back.”

Neymar’s team mate Dani Alves said that he would be retiring from international duty but intended to keep playing at club level.

Midfielder Casemiro, who scored for the five-times champions in the shootout, said: “We are sad, we are sure that everyone in the group gave their best.

“We were upset by the way it happened. It was in our hands, and it slipped away,” he added, before reflecting philosophically: “Now it’s time to keep calm and life must go on.”