Brazil defeated Germany 5-4 in a penalty shootout on Saturday to win their first Olympic gold medal in men’s soccer.
Neymar and Max Meyer scored for Brazil and Germany respectively in the opening 90 minutes as the match finished in a 1-1 stalemate after extra time.
Both sides were successful with their first four attempts in the shootout, until Weverton saved Nils Petersen’s effort to give the hosts a chance to win it in the fifth round.
With all of the pressure on his shoulders, Neymar — who was visibly limping in extra time — converted the winning penalty to clinch that elusive gold medal for his country.
The moment was extra special for the Barcelona forward, who missed the 2014 World Cup semifinal at home versus Germany due to a back injury. The hosts were hammered 7-1 by the eventual world champions two summers ago in Belo Horizonte.
While it doesn’t completely erase the pain of the Mineirazo from 2014, fans can take pride in the fact that the Olympics were the only major title missing from Brazil’s loaded trophy cabinet.
The Germans, meanwhile, have not won gold since East Germany’s triumph in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.