Neymar ties Pele as Brazil cruised to a 1-0 victory against Croatia in their World Cup quarterfinal on Friday. Neymar scored in extra time to tie Pele for the team’s record of 77 goals. During spare time, the striker scored a goal from close range to put Brazil ahead and tie Pele, who scored his goals between 1957 and 1971.
Neymar ties Pele for Brazil’s most goals.
In the first overtime phase, Neymar scored a goal from a difficult angle, beating Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic in the process. Croatia eventually prevailed in a shootout, 4-2, thanks to a plan from Bruno Petkovic in the 117th minute.
Pele, the only player in history to win three World Cups, was recently hospitalized while treating colon cancer. The 82-year-old, who won with the Selecao in 1958, 1962, and 1970, revealed earlier this week that he was in a hospital watching his country play in Qatar. Brazil is a five-time champion, but it hasn’t won the World Cup since 2002, eight years before Neymar made his debut for the national team.
The 30-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward is a legend in his own country but has struggled to break through on the international stage. On his return from injury after missing the first two games in Qatar, he scored a penalty kick in the round of 16.
His opponent was South Korea. After Brazil’s decisive 4-1 victory on Monday, the team’s players unfurled a banner honouring Pele. Despite being pre-tournament favourites, they will leave the competition early because of their shocking loss.
