By scoring a hat-trick against Peru on Tuesday (4-2), PSG superstar Neymar took his goal tally for Brazil to 64, passing Ronbaldo to become the country's second-top scorer of all time - now behind no-one but the mythical Pele (77).
Brazil's big win over Peru saw them take top spot in their AMSUD qualifying group for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but on the night everyone was talking about Neymar, whose trio of goals - two of which came from the penalty spot - saw him climb to the next level in the pantheon of the greatest scores for the world's greatest footballing nation.
In his 103rd match for Brazil, Neymar took his tally to 64 goals, surpassing Ronaldo's mark of 62 strikes for the Selecao and inching ever closer to Pele's all-time record of 77 goals.
Given that Neymar is still just 28 and has several years at the highest level ahead of him, it seems just a matter of time until he becomes his football-obsessed country's greatest-ever goal scorer. However, time is not on his side insofar as he cannot match Pele's efficiency - the legend scored all 77 of his Brazil goals in just 92 appearances!
Unhappy side note
The match wasn't all candy canes and unicorns, however, with Neymar's club captain Marquinhos forced off injured in the 11th minute. A worrying development for PSG boss Thomas Tuchel less than a week out from their UEFA Champions League campaign opener at home to Manchester United, but little is known about the injury thus far, with the Brazilian Football Federation noting only that the defender had felt 'pain in his left thigh'.
(Photo: CBF)
