Pele Pays Touching Tribute to Neymar After Al Hilal Star Became Brazil’s All Time Top Scorer

• Neymar scored twice as Brazil beat Bolivia to kick off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign
• The Al-Hilal star is now the country's all-time top scorer after surpassing Pele
• A tribute on behalf of the late legend has been sent to the new record holder

Neymar Jr. shares an emotional connection to Brazilian legend Pele, which was displayed after his record-breaking performance in the 5-1 win over Bolivia.

Brazil began their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a resounding victory over their South American counterpart to go clear at the top of the table.

Neymar scored twice in the game, including an injury-time goal. Barcelona winger Raphinha was also on the scoresheet, while Real Madrid forward Rodrygo also scored twice.

As reported by ESPN, the former Barcelona star, going into the game, was tied on 77 goals with the former Santos star and now has 79 after hitting a double.

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Football

Pele pays tribute to Neymar

Pele is a highly revered figure in Brazil after helping the country win three World Cups in 12 years of his international career and was given a state burial when he passed on last year.

He inspired many of the current generation of superstars, and rightly so, an emotional tribute has been paid to the new record holder on his behalf via his official Twitter page.

"Forever, Village Boys! Congratulations, Neymar Jr., for surpassing the King in goals for the Brazilian National Team in official FIFA matches. Surely Pelé is applauding you today!" he wrote.

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward may have surpassed the legend's goal-scoring record, but he is yet to win a trophy for Brazil. He missed the triumphant 2019 Copa America due to injury.

The Selecao travels to Peru for the next game in the qualifiers, while their opponents, Bolivia, host world champions Argentina.

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Pele's will names secret daughter

Sports Brief reported that Pele's will named a secret daughter, whose identity was never disclosed during his lifetime, but apportioned a share of his estate to her.

The share would be allocated provided the DNA tests match. The development came after Pele acknowledged her first daughter, Sandra Regina, born after an illicit affair with his maid in 1963.