In a thrilling start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Brazil dominated Bolivia with a resounding 5-1 victory on home soil. The match was particularly significant as it saw Neymar Jr., the 31-year-old forward who recently transferred to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, surpassing the legendary Pele’s record to become Brazil’s highest goal scorer.
Despite an initial setback of missing a penalty in the first half, Neymar rebounded spectacularly, netting two goals in the 61st and 93rd minutes. This took his total tally to 79, making him the all-time top scorer for Brazil.
The official account of the late Brazilian soccer icon, Pele, congratulated Neymar on the achievement on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. “Congratulations Neymar for surpassing the King in goals for Brazil,” the message read. “Surely Pele is applauding you today!”
Following the game, Neymar expressed his feelings, stating, “I never imagined reaching this record. I want to say that I am not a better player than Pele. I always wanted to make my own story, write my name in the history of Brazilian football and the national team. And today I did that.”
Neymar, who has represented Brazil 125 times and was part of the Confederations Cup-winning team in 2013, wasn’t the only star of the match. Real Madrid’s Rodrygo also put up an impressive performance, scoring twice in the 24th and 52nd minutes.
“It really is a very special day… Neymar is my idol, being able to help him become the top scorer will stay with me forever,” the 22-year-old Rodrygo told Brazilian broadcaster TV Globo.
Raphinha, Antony’s replacement in the squad, added to the scoreline with a goal early in the second half. Bolivia managed to score a consolation goal through Victor Abrego’s powerful shot in the 78th minute.
Brazil will aim to maintain their winning momentum when they face Peru on Tuesday in the second round of CONMEBOL qualifiers. In other matches, Uruguay kicked off their qualifying campaign with a 3-1 victory over Chile, marking the first official win for their new coach, former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa.
