5-1: Neymar shows Brazil

The Brazilian team the soccer team topped the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup with a 5-1 win this Friday Bolivia and an exhibition of Neymarwho scored two goals and had the luxury of wasting a penalty.

Today in the Amazon city of Belém, Neymar became Canarinha’s top scorer, with two more than Pelé. Rodrygo scored two more goals and Raphinha scored one more to seal the win. The Bolivian discount was obtained by Víctor Ábrego in the 78th minute.

The match also marked the debut in Canarinha of coach Fernando Diniz, who simultaneously managed Fluminense and will be in charge until July 2024, when the arrival of Italian Carlo Ancelotti, current coach of Real Madrid, is expected.

Neymar, who reappeared in the national team, was the main man from the start and brought danger to Guillermo Viscarra’s goal. The Saudi Al-Hilal striker missed his first chance to become the Brazilian team’s top scorer, according to FIFA, by wasting a penalty in the 16th minute, after a handball in the area by Adrián Jusino.

Neymar and the late Pelé, by FIFA’s accounts, have 77 goals. However, for the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), which includes some friendlies not considered by FIFA, Pelé has 95 goals compared to Neymar’s 79 now.

Canarinha opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, after a play started by Danilo, which ended with a cross from Raphinha and a definition from Rodrygo. Then Neymar, in a fine individual play; Raphinha, Rodrygo himself and Richarlison went in search of a second goal, but the first half ended with little advantage for the locals.

In the second half, with a minute to play, Raphinha evaded several rivals and beat Viscarra to score the second. But when Bolivia tried to hit back, in the 52nd minute, Bruno Guimarães teed up Rodrygo and the Real Madrid forward made it 3-0, which had to be confirmed by VAR.

The 4-0, which marked Neymar’s record, came in the 60th minute when the former French PSG striker scored past Viscarra after Rodrygo’s pass. In Bolivia’s first attack, on 77 minutes, the newly introduced Ábrego beat goalkeeper Ederson to cut in.

In the 79th minute, Neymar hit the crossbar with a shot and in the 92nd minute, already in stoppage time, he responded with his second and the fifth for Brazil after a cross shot by Raphinha, FC Barcelona forward .

Marcelo Martins Moreno’s record

Another record set in the match was Bolivian Marcelo Martins Moreno, who completed 103 official matches on the Green and surpassed former captain Ronald Raldes, who has now retired. Martins Moreno, whose father is Brazilian, came to defend the Brazilian under-20 team, but then decided to play for Bolivia, the country of his birth and his mother, to become its historic striker.

On the second day, on Tuesday, Brazil will visit Peru in Lima, who on Thursday drew 0-0 with Paraguay, and Bolivia will host Argentina, who beat Ecuador 1-0 in Buenos Aires.

DATA SHEET

5 – Brazil: Ederson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães (m.83, Ibañez), Renan Lodi (m.69, Caio Henrique); Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães (m.70, Joelinton), Neymar; Rodrygo (m.88, Gabriel Jesus), Raphinha and Richarlison (m.69, Matheus Cunha)
Coach: Fernando Diniz
1 – Bolivia: Guillero Viscarra; Jairo Quinteros, Adrián Jusino, Marcelo Suárez; Diego Bejarano (m.46, Héctor Cuéllar), Gabriel Villamil, Boris Céspedes (m.57, Luciano Ursino), Diego Medina, Roberto Fernández (m.57, Carlos Roca); Jaime Arrascaita (m.75, Jaume Cuéllar) and Marcelo Martins Moreno (m.70, Víctor Ábrego)
Coach: Gustavo Costas
The objectives: 1-0, Rodrygo (m. 23); 2-0, Raphinha (m. 46); 3-0, Rodrygo (m. 52); 4-0, Neymar (m. 60); 4-1, Víctor Ábrego (m. 77); 5-1, Neymar (m. 92)
Referee: Referee: Paraguayan Juan Gabriel Benítez. He advised Neymar, Martins Moreno and Ursino
Happenings: Match on the first day of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup played before 48,183 spectators at the Mangueirão stadium, in the city of Belém