Neymar is now Brazil's outright all-time top goalscorer after breaking the record held by the legendary Pele.
In a 5-1 victory over Bolivia in World Cup 2026 qualifying in September, the 31-year-old scored his 78th and 79th international goals to set a new benchmark for the five-time world champions.
Having missed a penalty, Neymar converted the rebound to surpass the previous best mark set by Pele, and he scored again in injury time to move a further goal clear at the top of the all-time charts.
Widely regarded as the greatest player to come out of his country in the current generation, the 31-year-old is likely to extend his new record. He remains an important part of Brazil's plans despite making a club switch from PSG to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.
Here, we take a look at the greats of the game Neymar has surpassed to become the best international goalscorer for Brazil in the country's storied footballing history.
MORE: Neymar not in Brazil's Copa America squad
Who has scored the most goals for Brazil?
Neymar is now the outright record goalscorer for Brazil in men's football. He has scored 79 goals in 125 appearances.
Pele stood as the undisputed top scorer for Brazil following his international retirement in 1971, with an incredible 77 goals from 92 caps. Neymar tied him on 77 goals with his World Cup quarterfinal goal against Croatia in 2022.
Pele and Neymar are the only two players in the Selecao's history to cross the 70-goal mark for their nation.
Only two others have crossed the 50-goal mark for Brazil, as Ronaldo and Romario converted 62 and 55 efforts respectively.
Below them, only one other man has managed to score over 40 goals — the legendary Zico (48 goals).
NEYMAR HAS EQUALLED PELÉ AS 🇧🇷'S ALL-TIME TOP SCORER 👑 pic.twitter.com/ZTrVgZu1QG
— 433 (@433) December 9, 2022
Most Brazil goals all-time list
In addition to the list of players above, there is a group of six players who have scored over 30 goals for the Brazil national side.
Notably, the compilation includes iconic figures such as Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, who will still be fresh in the memory of many football fans.
| Name | Goals | Caps | Years |
| Neymar | 79 | 125 | 2010- |
| Pele | 77 | 92 | 1957-1971 |
| Ronaldo | 62 | 98 | 1994-2011 |
| Romario | 55 | 70 | 1987-2005 |
| Zico | 48 | 71 | 1976-1986 |
| Bebeto | 39 | 75 | 1985-1998 |
| Rivaldo | 35 | 74 | 1993-2003 |
| Jairzinho | 33 | 81 | 1964-1982 |
| Ronaldinho | 33 | 97 | 1999-2013 |
| Ademir | 32 | 39 | 1945-1953 |
| Tostao | 32 | 54 | 1966-1972 |
Neymar's Brazil goals
Neymar scored on his debut for Brazil in 2010 in a 2-0 victory over the United States in New Jersey, setting the tone for a phenomenal international career.
In the following year, he established himself as a key player for Brazil, scoring seven goals in 13 appearances for his nation across competitive and friendly matches. In 2013 and 2014, the 30-year-old scored an incredible 25 goals from 33 appearances, producing his most scintillating form in the iconic yellow jersey to date.
Since then, his best tally in a calendar year is again seven goals from 13 outings, however, he has always been a huge part of Brazil's chance creation, represented in the fact that he also has 56 assists across the board at international level.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he scored twice across three appearances before Brazil were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Croatia.
Neymar's two goals in a 5-1 win over Bolivia saw Brazil make a strong start to the 2026 qualification process and saw him take Pele's record.
🇧🇷 Neymar's #FIFAWorldCup debut was spectacular! ✨
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 24, 2022
🤩 Where does he rank among Brazil's greatest ever players? @neymarjr | @CBF_Futebol pic.twitter.com/I8fbbp9VhY