Brazil top scorers of all time: Neymar, Pele and players with most goals

Karan Tejwani

Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
3 min read

PSG attacker Neymar was named as joint Player of the Tournament at the 2021 Copa America along with Barcelona's Lionel Messi. — © ProShots

Neymar is only one goal away from a historic record for Brazil: he will become the top scorer of the most successful nation in World Cup history.

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The Paris Saint-Germain forward will have to wait to overtake Pele’s record of 77 after equalling it in the 2022 World Cup against Croatia, however Brazil suffered a heartbreaking loss on penalties to end their campaign at the quarter-finals stage.

Neymar has been a regular for Brazil since 2011 and although he hasn’t had the fortune of winning a major tournament with them, he has achieved great personal success.

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Neymar closing in on Pele

Neymar is the only player in the list of Brazil’s top 10 goalscorers who is active at the minute – the next-highest on the list is Gabriel Jesus, who has scored 19.

Behind Neymar in the list of top scorers is the legendary Ronaldo, who netted 62 for the Selecao in his career and won the World Cup in 1994 and 2002, where he scored eight goals in that tournament. He is Brazil's all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 15.

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Romario’s record of 56 follows that and he added to that with the World Cup in 1994, where he had an important role to play in the process.

Zico is one of the game’s greatest players to have never lifted the World Cup and his 48 goals puts him on fifth in the list, ahead of the great Bebeto, who is on 39.

Rivaldo had a long career and his 35 goals, including a few in the World Cup-winning run of 2002, spurs him on to seventh in the list.

Jairzinho and Ronaldinho, World Cup winners 32 years apart in 1970 and 2002 respectively, are level in eighth with 33 goals each, one ahead of Ademir, who sits on 32, level with the great Tostao.

Neymar will have a chance to break Pele’s record as early as the group stage and he will fancy his chances against Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon in Qatar.