World Cup 2022: Neymar equals Pele's Brazil scoring record with goal against Croatia
Neymar's 77th goal for Brazil put Tite's team in front against Croatia during extra time in the first quarter-final of Qatar 2022
Neymar has equalled Pele as Brazil's joint top goalscorer of all time, giving Brazil the lead in extra time of their World Cup 2022 quarter-final against Croatia.
In stoppage time at the end of the first period of extra time, Brazil's main man – who had had a quiet game up until then – produced a moment of magic to drive through the stubborn Croatian defence and break the deadlock with an emphatic close-range finish.
In doing so, the 30-year-old – earning his 124th Brazil cap – has joined Pele on 77 goals for the five-time World Cup winners.
Neymar made his senior international back in 2010 in a friendly against the USA – and within 28 minutes of coming on as a substitute, he notched goal number one of 77.
The PSG star has now found the net eight times at World Cups: four times in 2014 on home soil, twice at Russia 2018 and twice at the current finals (his first goal was a penalty in Brazil's 4-1 last-16 win over South Korea).
He's still a little way of Pele's World Cup tally, however: the great man scored 12 goals across four World Cups, including three in finals (two in 1958 and one in 1970 – Brazil won both tournaments).
Neymar has hinted that this could be his last World Cup; he's yet to lift the trophy and hasn't even played in a semi-final yet, having been injured for the infamous 7-1 thrashing by Germany in 2014 (Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals four years ago).
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Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...