Neymar scored Brazil’s only goal in regulation during the gold medal game against Germany today. But it was his shootout-deciding penalty kick to give the host country its first ever gold medal in soccer that will likely be remembered as one of the enduring moments of the 2016 Olympics.
With the score knotted at one apiece after 120 minutes of regulation time, the game came down to a penalty shootout. Both Germany and Brazil were playing for their first-ever gold medal in the event. After each team converted the first four penalties, Nils Petersen missed Germany’s fifth attempt. Neymar, who sat out Brazil’s humiliating loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup due to injury, sunk his penalty kick and sent the country into euphoric pandemonium.