As Brazil clashed with Peru in their latest World Cup Qualifier match, fans worldwide were poised for another spectacle from the iconic Neymar Jr. However, the match proved to be a testing ground for the man who carries the weight of being Pelé’s closest contender. Recently, Neymar registered his name as Brazil’s all-time highest scorer by breaking Pele’s long-standing record. This achievement ignited discussions and debates among the experts and pundits of the game, who are now comparing Neymar’s legacy with that of Pele.

The question that looms over Brazilian soccer fans’ heads is: Can Neymar bridge the insurmountable gap that separates him from the legend of Pelé? The answer, it seems, is no, in the opinion of a famous Brazilian columnist.

Neymar Jr.’s performance under scrutiny once again

Brazil secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Peru in their second WC qualifier match. Richarlison’s disallowed goal was a cruel twist of fate. Still, Brazil persevered, securing a narrow victory with a dramatic winner from Marquinhos in the dying minutes. Interestingly, Neymar was largely anonymous for most of the game and struggled to create chances for the Selecao. His only real contribution came in the 90th minute when he swooped in a corner kick that led to Marquinhos’ winning goal.

The Al-Hilal forward’s anonymous performances where he failed to make an impact raised questions again about his place among Brazilian legends. Famous columnist and journalist Milton Neves criticized Neymar’s performance and emphasized the large gap between Neymar and Pele.

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As reported in UoL, Neves said, “This time, Neymar, who is said to have ‘surpassed Pelé’ in goals for the national team, didn’t find it as easy as he used to and went 90 minutes without scoring.

The truth is that, for both Santos and the national team, the gap between Pelé and Neymar is abysmal.

No player will ever come close to the King of Football. Forget it.”

Neves’ comments are sure to stoke the debate about Neymar’s legacy. There is no doubt that he is a gifted player. But he is yet to consistently deliver on his promise at the highest level.

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Pele’s mythical stature and legacy endure

Many would agree with Neves’s comments as it’s a fact that the legend of Pele transcends statistics and numbers. Pelé’s 3 World Cup victories and his countless moments of brilliance have solidified his status as the “King of Football.” While Neymar has soared to great heights, achieving remarkable feats, the notion that he could dethrone Pelé has been debunked time and time again.

Brazil’s recent victory might have added three points to their WC qualifying campaign. But it also shines a light on the fact that there’s a big gap between Neymar’s goals and Pele’s status.

The debate about Neymar’s legacy is sure to continue for many years to come. And it will be interesting to see how he responds to the criticism. If he can lead Brazil to World Cup glory and continue to perform at a high level, then he will surely go down as one of the greatest players of all time.

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