Neymar Equals Pelé's World Cup Record

Neymar made his first appearance since 2023 in Brazil's 3-0 victory over Scotland, a result that secured the "Seleção's" top spot in Group C of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

With this outing, he also achieved a historic milestone in his illustrious career, matching a record set by the legendary Pelé.

By stepping onto the pitch against the "Tartan Army," the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star became only the second Brazilian player to wear the number ten jersey and participate in four different World Cups.

Neymar debuted at the World Cup finals during the home tournament in Brazil in 2014, then played in Russia in 2018, and was also part of the "Seleção" squad in Qatar in 2022.

Pelé, for his part, featured in the World Cups of 1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970, held in Sweden, Chile, England, and Mexico, respectively.

The sole distinction between the two, however, is that Pelé lifted three World Cup trophies in 1958, 1962, and 1970, while Neymar is yet to achieve such a feat.

The Santos product's best World Cup performance was a fourth-place finish in 2014, a tournament marred by a humiliating 1-7 semi-final defeat to Germany and a 0-3 loss to the Netherlands in the third-place playoff. In both 2018 and 2022, the "Seleção" only reached the quarter-finals.

However, in the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 2026, Carlo Ancelotti's squad will be hoping for a significantly better final standing, and securing the group stage win was the crucial first step.

The next challenge awaits early next week, on Monday, June 29th, when the first knockout stage match is scheduled.

This match, along with all 104 games of the 2026 World Cup, can be watched live on bnt.sportal.bg.

In that fixture, the "Seleção" will face one of the Netherlands, Japan, or Sweden.

Interestingly, Brazil has been drawn into the same knockout bracket as their eternal rivals Argentina, meaning the two teams could potentially clash in the semi-finals.