Neymar has been reflecting on the significance of becoming Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, needing just one more goal to surpass Pele’s record.
Currently, the Al-Hilal forward is tied with his legendary compatriot, both having scored 77 goals for their country.
It seems inevitable that Neymar will soon score his 78th goal, surpassing Pele, who won the World Cup three times.
This historic achievement could potentially occur during a 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Bolivia. Additionally, Brazil is scheduled to face Peru next Tuesday.
Neymar has said of potentially rewriting the record books: “It is hard to know what that record means, but it does mean a lot. No-one ever thought about overcoming that. It is something I will respond to after it is done.”
Neymar’s last outing for Brazil came in their 2022 World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Croatia, with the 31-year-old hinting after that penalty shootout setback that he could bow out with 124 caps to his name.
He has said of carrying on with the Selecao: “After a lot of pressure from family and friends [to return to the national team], you start giving value to everything you did.
“When you are with your people, your family, they put you in your place and make you see it is worth it to continue being happy by wearing Brazil’s shirt.”
Neymar’s debut for Brazil dates back to 2010.
The CBF is hesitant to overly celebrate his achievement of reaching 78 goals, as their records, which vary slightly from the official ones, indicate that Pele has scored 95 goals for the South American nation when considering all of his international appearances.