The Blaugrana played a great game and Neymar Jr., who missed a penalty, surpassed Pelé’s scoring record in Brazil’s 5-1 victory over Bolivia
The new coach, Fernando Diniz, put his offensive stamp on a new Seleçao that knew how to have fun against the Green’s lock
Neymar He returned to play a game after almost seven months of inactivity and celebrated with a ‘double’. raphinha He regained his international status after a nine-month hiatus and had a great game with a goal and an assist. Fernando Diniz He made his debut from the bench, infecting with his offensive script a group that had spent too much time more concerned with not fitting in than with having fun. And the Seleçao fulfilled the pre-established script at the beginning of a new stage that coincided with the debut in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. They crushed a Bolivia 5-1 that gave up playing to try to break the tradition that dictates that every time they step on Brazilian territory they are beaten and failed in the attempt.
DATA SHEET
South American World Cup Qualifiers 2026
bra
BOWL
ALIGNMENTS
Brazil
Ederson, Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes (Ibañez, 84′), Renan Lodi (Caio Henrique, 70′), Casemiro, Bruno Guimares (Joelinton, 70′), Neymar Jr. Raphinha, Rodrygo (Gabriel Jesus, 87′) and Richarlison (Matheus Cunha 70′),
Bolivia
Viscara, Quinteros, Jusino, Marcelo Suárez, Villamil, Bejarano (Cuellar, 59′), Cespedes (Ursino, 59′) Medina, Roberto Fernández (Daniel Roca, 59′), Arrascaita (Jaume Cuéllar, 76′) and Marcelo Moreno ( Victor Abrego, 78′).
Referee
Juan Gabriel Benitez (Paraguay). TA: Neymar Jr. (20′) / Marcelo Moreno (18′), Ursino (69′).
Goals
1-0, min 24 Rodrygo; 2-0, min 47 Raphinha; 3-0, min 53 Rodrygo; 4-0, min 61 Neymar Jr.; 4-1, min 78 Victor Abrego; 5-1, min 94 Neymar Jr.
Incidents
Match played at the Mangueirao stadium (Belém) with 43,188 spectators. Very hot and muggy with a temperature of 27 degrees and 78% humidity.
Brazil, with the unconditional support of the stands, came out to demolish the Bolivian fronton made up of a line of five at the back and with the eleven defending on the field of play. It was a matter of time to know how long the Green’s Numantine resistance to the canarinho monologue would last.
The penalty missed by ‘Ney’
Neymar had a golden opportunity in the minute fifteen. The center of Rodrygo It hit Jusino’s outstretched arm on the grass. Clear penalty. The ’10’, however, choked on his own ‘paradinha’ and Viscarrawho held out until the end, blocked safely.
The ruling did not affect in any way a patient Seleçao that was looking for play on the outside. raphinhawho performed at a good level, received a through pass from Danilo. His left foot after a quick control saved him Viscarrabut the rebound fell at the second post to Rodrygo, who only had to push with his left foot.
Precisely, the two Brazilian extremes, the Blaugrana raphinha and the madridista Rodrygo (who played in the natural position of the injured Vinicius Jr.), were the ones who created the most, along with a Neymar motivated and eager to play who had absolute freedom to move as he pleased.
Despite the missed penalty, the now Al-Hilal player had a very marvelous performanceplaying with confidence, letting loose as the game went on and giving away some of his trademark rides.
The ‘Canarinha’ roller
A good Brazil left the mission for the second half to sentence a match that they always had under controll in the face of Bolivian ineffectiveness, who did not finish on goal. And went raphinha who put the finishing touch taking advantage of the fact that the Green team was confused during the restart
Neymarabsolutely free of marking, opened to the right where ‘rapha‘He had time to control and finish with his left foot, with luck that his placed shot touched the tip of the boot of Fernandez. A goal that rewarded the convincing contribution of the Blaugrana striker and that KO’d Bolivia already in the 47th minute.
The Brazilian storm broke loose. Playing under the baton of neymar, the ‘double’ of Rodrygo after a good triangulation with the former PSG player and Bruno Guimaraeswhich is called to be a cornerstone in this new project.
And, with Brazil playing and playing, the goal came, now, from ‘Ney’, culminating an infinite rondo. He celebrated it with great effusiveness and with his fist in the air. It was a tribute to Pelebecause with this goal he surpassed ‘O King’ and he became, according to FIFA calculations, the top scorer in the history of the Seleçao with 78 goals. In the CBF’s calculation, he still had 17 goals left to reach the 95 of the only three-time world champion.
With everything decided, the Seleçao lowered the piston, which was more than logical taking into account the conditions of the Amazonian climate And Bolivia closed the gap in a counter. In this final stretch, the Green coach, the Argentine Gustavo Costas, brought on the Barça Atlètic winger, Jaume Cuellar.
The last word, however, was from Brazil. Raphinha sealed his marvelous performance with an assist and Neymar Jr. scored the second on his own account to stay 16 behind Palé. ‘Manita’ for a ‘Canarinha’ that scored and had fun.