Neymar says he is not focused on chasing down “icons” Romario, Ronaldo and Pele to become the top goalscorer for Brazil. The PSG star moved on to 54 international goals, one behind Romario after netting a superb strike against Croatia on his comeback from a three months injury.
“There is no fight to be Brazil’s national team top scorer,” Neymar told reporters. “I think it’s just numbers.
“They are my idols, those who were here before me, and when it comes to idols, I will never be better than them.
“So I respect each one of them, Romario, Zico, Ronaldo, Pele… Because they are my idols. It’s just numbers.
“I’m happy to help my team, to score goals, but I don’t want to be better than them and neither will I be.
“Each one has their own history and knows their importance in the team. I’m very happy for the goals.”
Only Ronaldo and Pele – who leads the way for Brazil with 77 strikes in FIFA-recognised matches – lie ahead once Neymar passes Romario to move into third position.