RIO DE JANEIRO: With a kiss of the ball and an unforgettable kick, Brazil’s biggest football star gave the Olympic hosts their biggest moment of the Games.

Brazil won their first Olympic gold medal in men’s football with a dramatic penalty kick by Neymar in a 5-4 shootout triumph over Germany after a thrilling final ended 1-1 in a draw following extra-time on Saturday.

Brazil had lost the Olympic final three times — in 1984, 1988 and 2012 — but they finally got the gold they craved when the Barcelona forward slotted home to jubilant scenes at a packed Maracana stadium as the win over Germany exacted revenge for a humiliating 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to the world champions two years ago.

Before the decisive shot, Neymar picked up the ball and kissed it before placing it on the penalty spot. With a stutter step and a smooth kick, he calmly sent a shot into the top corner and sank to his knees in tears before being mobbed by his team-mates.

“This is one of the best things that has happened in my life,” said Neymar.

However, he also suddenly stepped down as captain after taking on the role in 2014 following Brazil’s disastrous World Cup exit.

“It was an honour to be captain, but from today I am no longer captain,” he told SporTV. “That’s it. We made history.”

It was a victory that was about more than football for a nation that desperately needed something to celebrate.

Brazil had been battered by recession, political scandal, health scares over polluted water and the Zika virus and questions over whether they could pull off hosting the Olympics.

All the troubles were forgotten when Neymar’s kick sailed into the net.

“Obviously this tournament had a special meaning for Brazil,” Neymar said.

Jubilant celebrations broke out around Rio, reminiscent of parties following the five World Cups won by this football-mad nation. Fireworks burst over the stadium, car horns blared and fans sang and tossed beer into the air. As the team stood atop the medal podium, gold draped around their necks, tears streamed down the faces of fans as all of Maracana joined in belting out the national anthem.

“We had players who were extremely dedicated, professional and with great technical skill,” Brazil coach Rogerio Micale said. “This restores our self-esteem. We see that not all was lost, our football is still alive. There are some things that need to be fixed, but today we were able to make our people happy.”

In front of the biggest crowd of Rio’s Games, including nine-time Jamaican gold medallist Usain Bolt, Neymar’s brilliant free-kick handed Brazil a first-half lead after 27 minutes.

However, Germany captain Max Meyer enjoyed a special celebration of his own as he taunted the raucous 78,000 crowd at the Maracana by kissing the number seven on his shirt when he swept home Jeremy Toljan’s cross just before the hour mark.

There were no more goals so the match went to penalties with Nils Petersen missing Germany’s fifth spot kick leaving Neymar, who appeared to injure himself late in the game, to limp up and coolly score from the spot to send the capacity crowd wild.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2016