Neymar surpasses Pele as Brazil thrash Bolivia 5-1, setting a new record.

★Neymar scored two goals in Brazil’s 5-1 victory over Bolivia, becoming Brazil’s all-time leading scorer.
★The 31-year-old forward now has 78 goals in his 125 appearances for Brazil.
★Neymar surpassed Pele’s record of 77 goals for Brazil.
★The victory marked an ideal start for Brazil’s new coach, Fernando Diniz.
★In another match, Uruguay defeated Chile 3-1 under the guidance of new coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Neymar, who recently made a move from Paris Saint-Germain to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, entered the game level with Pele at 77 goals. He had a chance to break the record in the 17th minute when Brazil received a penalty, but his soft spot-kick was saved by Bolivia’s goalkeeper.

Brazil eventually took the lead seven minutes later when Rodrygo scored after Raphinha’s shot was parried by Bolivia’s goalkeeper. After the break, Brazil doubled their lead with Raphinha’s deflected shot finding the bottom corner of the net.

Neymar played a role in Brazil’s third goal, providing a clever chipped pass that Bruno Guimaraes flicked into the path of Rodrygo, who confidently scored. Then, in the 78th minute, Neymar capitalized on a loose ball in the box and tucked away his 78th goal for Brazil, raising his hands and gaze to the sky.

Bolivia managed to pull one back, but Neymar sealed his record-breaking night in stoppage time as he connected with a low ball from Raphinha.

This victory marked an ideal start for Brazil’s new coach, Fernando Diniz, who took over from the previous coach, Tite, following Brazil’s World Cup quarter-final exit last year.

In another match on Friday, Uruguay defeated Chile 3-1 under the guidance of new coach Marcelo Bielsa. Bielsa chose a youthful lineup, omitting veteran strikers Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez. The move paid off, with Nicolas de la Cruz scoring twice for Uruguay.

The qualification process for the 2026 World Cup, expanded to 48 teams and hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, offers two additional spots for South America, with six teams securing direct qualification and the seventh heading to an intercontinental playoff.

On Thursday, Argentina defeated Ecuador 1-0 with a goal from Lionel Messi, while Peru played to a 0-0 draw against Paraguay, and Colombia secured a 1-0 victory over Venezuela in the opening matches of the qualifiers.