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Neymar steps down as captain after leading Brazil to Olympic glory

And finally, the Maracana stadium was filled with Brazilian tears of joy, as the host nation’s football team won its first ever Olympic gold, finally completing the nation’s set of world titles in the sport.

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The Barcelona star scored the winning penalty in a shootout victory against Germany on Saturday at the Maracana Stadium, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Felipe Anderson was presented with the best opportunity of what remained of normal time, put clean through on goal by Neymar.

“It was an honor to be the captain, but from today I stop being captain”.

“That’s it”, Neymar said. ‘If I have offended anyone with this action, I beg your pardon.It was a huge pleasure to play football in this country so receptive and as happy people.

On Saturday a more relaxed Neymar, posted an image of his latest tattoo, the Olympic rings with the words “Rio 2016” inscribed just above his left wrist.

After his penalty earned Brazil a memorable triumph, securing the only worldwide honour the country had yet to win, the 24-year-old told SporTV: “Today I have become a champion, and I give up the captain’s armband”.

Both teams pressed and probed as the contested drifted into extra time, but the exertions of that energy-sapping opening hour had taken their toll after another sticky night in Rio.

They were nervy moments but Neymar’s attempted rainbow flick showed the hosts’ belief – a mentality put under pressure 15 minutes into the second half.

All the talk in the lead up was about the 2014 World Cup semi-final, in which Germany humiliated a Brazil side missing the injured Neymar 7-1 in Belo Horizonte.

Neymar was instrumental as a Brazil captain.

In fact, it was Neymar who struck the winning penalty moments after Germany’s Nils Petersen saw his strike his saved by Weverton Pereira da Silva.

“This experience has been the dream of a lifetime for me”, said US gymnast and closing ceremony flagbearer Simone Biles, who won five medals, four of them gold, in her first Olympics.

The Rio Games will now, in Brazil at least, be remembered as the first time they won an global tournament at home, and finally added the gold medal to their five World Cup victories.

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Zeca on his part said, “This has nothing to do with Germany beating us in the World Cup”.

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