'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Neymar broke Pele's international goalscoring record as he bagged a brace against Bolivia in Brazil's latest FIFA World Cup qualifier against Bolivia. He has now scored 79 goals, the most in the country's history.
The player returned to competitive football after almost six months as he hadn't played an official game since sustaining an injury in March. The Al-Hilal forward also missed a penalty in the 17th minute of the match.
He got on the scoresheet in the 61st minute and also in injury time to take his tally to 79, two more than Pele. Apart from Neymar, Rodrygo bagged and a brace and Raphinha scored another as Brazil won the game 5-1.
With his latest contribution, Neymar has now scored 79 goals in 125 international appearances for Brazil.
Pele's official account congratulated Neymar
Brazilian football icon Pele passed away last year, leaving a massive hole in the footballing world. His official Twitter account managed by his entourage left a congratulatory message for Neymar after he reached the remarkable feat.
The superstar's first goal against Bolivia marked his 78th strike for the national team, taking his tally one higher than Pele. The official account wrote in the message on Twitter:
"Forever, Village Boys! Congratulations, @neymarjr, for surpassing the King in goals for the Brazilian team in official FIFA games. Pelé is certainly applauding you today!"
The Al-Hilal forward sounded confident as he told the media ahead of the clash against Bolivia (via Roya News):
"It's hard to answer this question, what this team means. It means a lot. For everyone here, Pelé is the unanimous king of football, imagine beating someone at that. Something you'll never imagine in your life. I can tell you that I'm going to beat him."
Brazil will return to action on September 12 as they take on Peru in their next FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying game. Fans will keep a keen eye on how their number 10 performs in that match.
