Neymar, 30, scored his 77 goals in 124 appearances for Brazil while Pele’s goals came in 92 appearances for the national team between 1957 and 1971.
Neymar, who started the tournament two goals from the milestone, scored with a right-footed shot after breaking through the defense and dribbling past the Croatia keeper to equal Pele’s record.
⭐️ 77 international goals ⭐️🇧🇷 Neymar joins Pelé at the top of Brazil’s men’s goalscoring chart! #FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) 1670606590000
Neymar scored his 76th goal in the Round of 16 against South Korea after returning from an ankle injury.
The 82-year-old football icon, hospitalized in delicate conditions in Sao Paulo due to cancer, scored his last goal for Brazil in a friendly against Austria in 1971.
💪🇧🇷 https://t.co/Vl5Ur86kM6
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) 1670606861000
Pelé is the only player to have won the World Cup three times, in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Ronaldo, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, is third on the list with 62 goals in 98 appearances.
Neymar, who first played for Brazil aged 18 in 2010, is playing in his third World Cup and is the only other Brazilian player other than Pele and Ronaldo to have scored in three different World Cups.
(With agency contributions)
