Al-Hilal’s superstar, Neymar, penned a heartfelt message to Pele after surpassing the all-time goal-scoring record for the Brazilian national team, previously held by the legendary figure.

The former Barcelona icon took to Instagram to share his sentiments after a resounding 5-1 victory against Bolivia in Brazil’s opening fixture of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers on Friday night.

Neymar sent an emotional message to Pele after breaking the Brazil legend’s all-time goal-scoring record for the country. Credit: @espnfcSource: Twitter

Despite missing a penalty in the first half, Neymar later found the net twice, in the 61st and 93rd minutes, surpassing Pele’s record of 77 goals for his country.

Now standing as the all-time top scorer for his nation with 79 goals, the 31-year-old forward expressed on his Instagram story:

“For you KING @Pele”

Speaking about reaching the milestone, the ex-Paris Saint-Germain forward said via ESPN:

“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.”

Brazil have a new goalscoring king!  Neymar’s 78th goal overtakes Pele as @CBF_Futebol’s all-time men’s leading scorer.

Having made his debut in a 2-0 victory against the United States of America back in 2010, Neymar has amassed an impressive 125 caps for Brazil.

Over the course of his international career, he has notched up an impressive tally of 79 goals and 59 assists in various international competitions.

Pele, who sadly passed away in December of last year, left behind a legacy of 77 goals and 32 assists in 92 appearances for his country.The three-time World Cup champion will forever be cherished and remembered for his remarkable contributions to the beautiful game.

Messi equals Luis Suarez’s record

At the same time, Lionel Messi continued with his impeccable form for club and country by scoring a late free-kick goal in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Sports Brief reported that Messi’s goal saw him equal Luis Suarez’s record as the player with the most goals in South America’s World Cup qualifiers.