Neymar has been plagued with comparisons to Pele ever since he broke through at Santos as a teenager – now he has the chance to surpass him.
Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has moved within two goals of Pele’s all-time record in Brazil with the World Cup, his chance to cement his legacy.
The 30-year-old netted a penalty in Selacao’s 5-1 win over Tunisia on Tuesday to extend his unbeaten record to 14 matches in the final match against Qatar.
He scored his 75th goal in 121 appearances for his country, putting it just three goals away from surpassing record holder Pele’s 77.
Neymar said Telefoot to hunt Pelé: “God willing… I hope to pass it.
“I’m going to talk to my teammates about it and tell them to help me score so I can finally make it happen.”
Neymar’s form will be crucial for Brazil to live up to their favorite labels in what will be his third World Cup appearance.
The PSG striker made his first international appearance after the 2010 edition, with Brazil set for years of non-competitive football due to their status as hosts in 2014.
All eyes were on Neymar as the star player at home and he looked up to the task, scoring four times in his first four games.
Yet in the quarter-finals he was left with a fractured vertebra after Juan Zuniga’s horror tackle in a win over Colombia.
As a result, Neymar missed Brazil’s 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi-finals, but it could have been much worse as his injury nearly interrupted his entire career.
“When he tackles me, I feel a reaction, but I try to get up. I was in a lot of pain and I remember I had my head on the ground and Marcelo was saying ‘no, no, call the doctors’. I said: ‘No, no, no, I want to play’ because I wanted to score,” he said in an interview with former Barcelona team-mate Gerard Pique.
“I couldn’t turn around and the doctors came in…I couldn’t lift my legs.
“I couldn’t move my legs and the doctor took me out and I started crying because it was painful and I couldn’t feel anything. I didn’t feel my legs so I went to the hospital which is in the stadium.
He added: “Then I went to the hospital, I did the tests and they said to me, ‘I have two news. One good and one bad.
“The bad: you can’t play the World Cup, it’s over for you.” And I’m like, ‘Which is the right one?’
“’The good news is that afterwards you can walk, because two centimeters aside… football is over for you.’ “
After that disappointing end to the 2014 World Cup, Neymar arrived in Russia four years later with a point to prove.
But the Samba star was rushing after a long layoff and couldn’t prevent Brazil’s quarter-final exit in Belgium.
All of this makes the World Cup in Qatar all the more important, with Neymar set to surpass his physical peak by 2026.
The Olympic gold medalist relishes the opportunity to break Pele’s record on football’s biggest stage.
Brazil earned a favorable draw, with matches against Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon offered in Group G.
Moreover, the Qatar tournament comes in the middle of the European season which means Neymar – who has scored eight goals in his first eight league appearances for PSG – will not suffer from burnout.
Andres Iniesta told One Football about Neymar: “For me, he’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen and played with.
“He’s a football-playing, dribbling and passing machine. I believe when we talk about football, we’re talking about spectacle, enjoying what the players present.
“And I think seeing Ney play is synonymous with that.”
The 2022 World Cup represents Neymar’s best chance to end Brazil’s 20-year wait for the number six title.
Pele’s record of 77 goals for the South American country has stood for over 51 years.
The 81-year-old is a three-time World Cup winner but has never won the competition’s Golden Boot.
As Brazil’s main man, Neymar would likely claim the award if his side went the distance in Qatar – but the honor of living up to a comparison with Pele who has been following him for decades will surely be far greater. …