Vinicius Jr sends emotional message to Neymar on breaking Pele's record
Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has congratulated Neymar after he overtook the late great Pele as Brazil's all-time record goalscorer.
Neymar struck twice in the Selecao's 5-1 thrashing of Bolivia on Friday (September 8) in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier to take his tally for his national team to 79 goals in 125 caps. It means he's now Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer, a feat that has been met with acclaim.
Vinicius played no part in the win over Bolivia, as he's recovering from a muscular injury. However, he took to Instagram and posted a photo in tribute to the Al-Hilal superstar eclipsing Pele's record, captionioning it:
“Congrats brother! I’m so happy for you. You deserve it. Thank you for everything.”
Neymar's first goal came in the 61st minute, thanks to an assist from Vinicius' Real Madrid teammate Rodrygo. That was the goal that took him past Pele (77).
The Brazil captain bagged a second in the 90+3rd minute to pull two clear of the Santos icon. His extraordinary accomplishment was feted by the Brazilian Football Confederation, as he was awarded with a special plaque after the game.
The 31-year-old showed his humility when reflecting on his achievement, saying:
"I never imagined reaching this record. I want to say that I am not better player than Pele. I always wanted to make my own story, write my name in the history of Brazilian football and the national team. And, today, I did that."
Neymar scored his first goal for Brazil on his debut in 2010 aged 18 in a 2-0 friendly win against the USA. He has since gone on to score eight goals in 13 FIFA World Cup games, five goals in 12 Copa America games and 65 times in other competitions, including friendlies.
Vinicius named Neymar as his idol in 2019 and explained how he tries imitating the Brazil captain
Vinicius has enjoyed a meteoric rise both at Real Madrid and with the Brazil national team. He has become a protagonist for Los Blancos, bagging 23 goals and 21 assists in 55 games across competitions last season.
The Madrid superstar boasts similar playing characteristics to Neymar, with his silky skillset and impressive agility. He revealed in 2019 just a year after joining the La Liga giants that Brazil's new all-time record goalscorer was his idol (via Marca):
"Neymar is my idol, and I try to imitate many things that he does on the pitch. He always sends me videos of his plays, and he says: 'do the same, youngster'. He does things like nobody else on the pitch."
The Madrid winger is following in the footsteps of his Brazil teammate and looks set to take the baton from him as the Selecao's next poster boy for years to come. He has bagged three goals and as many assists in 23 caps so far.