Star footballer Neymar has scripted history by overtaking arguably the greatest footballer of all time Pele as the leading scorer for Brazil. Neymar went past Pele's record in Brazil's victory over Bolivia during South America's 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The star forward went into the game against Bolivia standing equal to Pele's record of 77 goals for the country and scored two second-half goals to surpass the Brazilian legend.
The 31-year-old has now scored 79 goals and there is no other active Brazilian player anywhere close to him hence it seems that Neymar is going to hold on to the record for a long period of time. Neymar, who recently signed a two-year deal with Saudi Arabia's football club Al Hilal starred in the match against South American neighbours and contributed in a grand manner to Brazil's emphatic victory 5-1.
Brazil were deemed as overwhelming favourites for the encounter and that's how it turned out to be as the game transpired. They managed to take a lead in the first half as Rodrygo (24') got his name registered on the scoresheet. The second half witnessed a more convincing display from the team as Rodrygo (53'), Raphinha (47') and Neymar (61', 90+3') also netted the ball to ensure a comfortable win for the side.
The Solitary goal from Bolivia came in the 78th minute when Victor Abrego cashed in a wonderful opportunity. Bolivia didn't have much ball possession to make a difference in the contest as Brazilian players were always on the offensive from the word go.
Meanwhile, the list comprising the all-time goal scorers for Brazil is dominated by retired Brazilian players. The third and fourth spots are occupied by Ronaldo and Romario with 62 and 55 goals respectively, while Zico and Bebeto continue to hold on to the fifth and sixth places. One of the all-time stars for Brazil, Ronaldinho is ninth on the all-time sheet.