Bolivia vs Brazil score, result, highlights as Neymar passes Pele to become Brazil all-time leading goal scorer

Kyle Bonn

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Bolivia vs Brazil score, result, highlights as Neymar passes Pele to become Brazil all-time leading goal scorer image

In terms of the 90 minutes in Para on Friday evening, Rodrygo was the standard bearer for the hosts, scoring a brace as Brazil topped Bolivia 5-1 to begin 2026 World Cup qualifying.

Yet the Real Madrid youngster had to take a back seat to the larger narrative.

Neymar, who missed a penalty earlier in the match, scored Brazil’s fourth and final goal to become his country’s all-time leading goal scorer, bagging his 78th career international strike to pass the legendary Pele and stand all alone atop the chart.

The 31-year-old has had a complicated career, filled with injuries, controversies, and tabloid headlines. Yet he now holds the sole honor as Brazil’s most prolific forward in the country’s rich and storied history.

To put a finishing touch on a historic night, Neymar profited off a mistake by Bolivia goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra for Brazil's fifth and final goal, giving him a brace of his own and sealing interim head coach Fernando Diniz's debut victory.

The Sporting News followed the Bolivia vs. Brazil match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.

MORE: Everything you need to know about Brazil interim head coach Fernando Diniz

Brazil vs Bolivia final score

  Score Goal scorers
Brazil 5 Rodrygo (24', 53'),
Raphinha (47'),
Neymar (62', 90+3')
Bolivia 1 Abrego (78')

Starting lineups:

Brazil (4-2-3-1, right to left): 23. Ederson (GK) — 2. Danilo, 4. Gabriel (Ibanez, 84'), 3. Marquinhos, 6. Lodi (Henrique, 71') — 5. Casemiro, 8. Guimaraes (Joelinton, 71') — 7. Raphinha, 10. Neymar, 11. Rodrygo (G. Jesus, 88') — 9. Richarlison (Cunha, 71').

Bolivia (5-4-1, right to left): 23. Viscarra (GK) — 3. Medina, 2. Quinteros, 5. Jusino, 6. M. Suarez, 17. R. Fernandez (Roca, 58') — 8. Bejarano (Cuellar, 58'), 15. Villamil, 16. Cespedes (Ursino, 58'), 13. Arrascaita (Cuellar, 76') — 9. M. Martins (Abrego, 72').

Brazil vs Bolivia live updates, highlights, commentary

FULLTIME: Brazil 5-1 Bolivia

It ends in an onslaught, as many predicted before the match it would. Bolivia played well through the first 45 minutes behind Guillermo Viscarra's magical opening 45 minutes, but a brace from Rodrygo secured the victory, and Neymar grabbed a slice of history in the process.

Even Viscarra's night ended with a whimper, as his mistake gifted Neymar his second. All Bolivia have to take from this match is Victor Abrego's stunner, but otherwise they've been well beaten in Para. Brazil pick up their first three points of the 2026 qualifying cycle, and Neymar becomes the new king of Brazilian football.

Brazil vs Bolivia: Second Half

90+3 min: GOAL! BRAZIL! Neymar adds the cherry on top of a historic night with his second goal of the match to make it 5-1! In truth, it's a hideous mistake from Guillermo Viscarra, who's had a very good match before now, but he's completely bungled this one, as the bouncing ball skipped right underneath his hands.

After, a pitch invader made his way across the field to Neymar, where he managed to get in both a hug and a selfie before being ushered away nonchalantly by security.

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88th min: Gabriel Jesus is set to enter, replacing Rodrygo and becoming the second Gabriel from Arsenal to play for Brazil tonight. Gabriel Martinelli remains on the bench for now.

84th min: Gabriel is down receiving treatment, which Arsenal fans won't want to see. He slowly walks off the pitch under his own power and will be replaced by Roger Ibanez. The Gunners will hold their breath and wait for the medical report. It doesn't appear to be serious, at least.

80th min: Chance, Brazil! OH MY GOODNESS! Neymar almost scored a Puskas contender! He clobbers the crossbar from very deep, trying to one-up Abrego's golazo from just minutes before. So close to a wonder goal for the man of the hour!

78th min: GOAL! BOLIVIA! Oh my, that's a stunner! Victor Abrego, who just entered the pitch less than 10 minutes prior, beats Brazil debutant Gabriel to a through ball and absolutely pulverizes his shot into the top-right corner! It's a wonder the net managed to keep that ball from reaching terminal velocity!

It won't matter in the long run, but Fernando Diniz looks miffed at the clean sheet disappearing.

75th min: Rodrygo appears to have rolled his ankle a bit, Real Madrid fans won't want to see that. He looks to try and walk it off.

70th min: Luciano Ursino, who came on for Bolivia at the hour mark, is booked.

Brazil will make a host of changes, with Richarlison, Renan Lodi, and Bruno Guimaraes coming off, while Joelinton, Caio Henrique, and Matheus Cunha enter. All like-for-like changes.

66th min: A spectacular back-heel from Neymar sees Richarlison with a chance on goal, but his shot pings around off two or three different defenders before deflecting harmlessly wide. It may have even come back off Richarlison's face amidst the chaos.

62nd min: GOAL! BRAZIL! Neymar becomes the all-time leading goal scorer in Brazil history! He cleans up the mess after a shot is spilled at the penalty spot!

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53rd min: GOAL! BRAZIL! Rodrygo has his second as Brazil catch Bolivia with too high a line! Bruno Guimaraes picks up the assist as he collects a loose ball and feeds Rodrygo through on goal.

Well, hold on a moment...there's a VAR review here, as the official goes over to the monitor to review an offside. Richarlison is clearly off on the feed to Rodrygo, but he's not really interfering with the play at all...maybe he's hindering Marcelo Suarez slightly as he chases Rodrygo, but we're splitting hairs here. This would be a silly reversal.

The official has a VERY long look at the monitor, even appearing to come away with a decision before going back to the monitor for yet another look...and finally, he GIVES THE GOAL!

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51st min: Chance, Brazil! Richarlison with a horrible miss! He does an incredible amount of hard work to get free, cutting between his left and his right to send defenders flying, but at the moment of truth, he loses his balance and falls backward, sending the shot sailing deep into the Para night!

47th min: GOAL! BRAZIL! That didn't take long! Raphinha doubles the lead off the benefit of a fortunate deflection, which takes the ball inside the tiny window between Guillermo Viscarra's outstretched arm and the inside of the far post.

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Kickoff: With no substitutions for either team, the sides are back in action as Brazil look to continue asserting their dominance. Forget a comeback — Bolivia will need to make real changes if they are to have any prayer of even keeping this scoreline where it is.

HALFTIME: Brazil 1-0 Bolivia

Brazil will be happy they dominated the entire 45 minutes against Bolivia, and they have secured the lead for their efforts, but it could have ended so much more lopsided if not for the heroics of Guillermo Viscarra, who was sensational in goal.

Viscarra saved a poor Neymar penalty, made a spectacular stop on Richarlison's header, and denied Neymar again at the end of a dizzying run through the penalty area. Overall, Viscarra made six saves and has kept Bolivia in this match. Still, it feels like a matter of time before the floodgates open, if Bolivia can't put some kind of threat together going forward to trouble Brazil at all.

Brazil vs Bolivia: First Half

41st min: Chance, Brazil! IT'S SO CLOSE TO A GOLAZO FROM NEYMAR! The Al Hilal star dribbled his way through the entire Bolivia defense, weaving and meandering through the trees as the crowd gathered excitement, but he's denied at the last moment by Guillermo Viscarra, who took the ball off his feet. Viscarra is having a spectacular match in goal for Bolivia!

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37th min: Chance, Brazil! An absolutely SENSATIONAL save from Guillermo Viscarra denies Richarlison! The Spurs forward rises high and gets his head to a cross from the right, and his effort is low and central. Viscara makes a stunning reflex save, diving down to his left and getting his fingertips to the shot. Take a bow!

34th min: Chance, Brazil! Raphinha dribbles into the penalty area on the right flank, and cuts inside onto his left before firing a low fizzler on goal. It's saved by Guillermo Viscarra well, as that shot had plenty of pace. Good stop.

31st min: Out of the hydration break, Ederson embarrassingly fumbles a back-pass over the end line. He's known for his abilities with the ball at his feet, but that one won't make the highlight reel. Brazil survive the corner to clear and win possession back.

29th min: The hydration break has arrived, as Fernando Diniz has some emphatic words for his Brazil side. He has been animated on the touchline for much of this game's opening half-hour.

24th min: GOAL! BRAZIL! Rodrygo has the opener! He cleans up the mess after a good save by Guillermo Viscarra on Raphinha is not cleared properly, and the Real Madrid man is there at the far post to poke it into the net.

It's great awareness by Rodrygo to pounce on the loose ball which came off Jusino.

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21st min: Neymar earns the game's first yellow card for catching Daniel Medina right in the face with a trailing elbow. It was a nasty one.

20th min: Brazil continue to pummel the Bolivia back line looking to find the opener. They win a corner after a cross from the right is put out of play over the end line, but Neymar's vicious delivery is cleared. It almost springs a Bolivia counter, but Marcelo Martins doesn't have any help and he's dispossessed after being surrounded by three defenders.

16th min: Neymar steps up to take Brazil's penalty, looking to become Brazil's all-time leading goal scorer...IT'S SAVED! Neymar took ages with his run-up, and it never looked confident. Eventually, when he finally hits the ball, he produces a truly awful penalty, very weakly struck to the goalkeeper's right. Guillermo Viscarra guesses correctly, and makes the easy stop!

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14th min: PENALTY, BRAZIL! An absolutely delicious buildup from Brazil sees Rodrygo get free down the left, and hemmed in near the end line, he sends a cutback towards the top of the six-yard box that clearly hits the outstretched arm of a sliding Adrian Jusino.

While the new handball rules have specifically written room into the laws for a defender to use his arm for support while sliding, this is not that. It's a clear penalty, as Jusino is already fully outstretched on the ground and has his arm fully extended up above his head.

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11th min: Brazil create a good chance through Renan Lodi down the left, but his cross is just inches behind Neymar who tries to head it back into the mixer but can't get the contact.

Marcelo Martin goes down behind the play and is writhing around on the ground in agony, but is miraculously fine once the referee waves play on. Bolivian players are doing everything they can from the opening whistle to kill time at every opportunity.

6th min: An early scuffle! The two teams come together for some pushing and shoving after Diego Bejarano clobbers Gabriel in the air, and then pushes Neymar to the ground too. It's all a bit much from Bolivia right now, they need to calm down.

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5th min: There's an early injury issue for Bolivia defender Marcelo Suarez, who goes down and looks to be suffering from a cramp. He gets up without needing treatment. It's a big early for that...

3rd min: Chance, Brazil! There's an early set-piece chance here for Brazil as Neymar is fouled about 28 yards from goal, shaded to the right edge of the penalty area.

The Al Hilal star stands over the ball, along with Raphinha, but it's always going to be Neymar to take. He rips a low bouncer that fools the entire Bolivia defensive unit, and nearly finds the back of the net, but skids just inches wide! That would have been a really messy goal to concede, but the visitors survive.

Kickoff: The national anthems have been completed and the match is under way in Para, Brazil! It's not a sellout at the Mangueirao, but there are reportedly over 45,000 fans in the stands to watch this match!

Paraguayan official Juan Gabriel Benitez is in charge of the whistle.

Brazil vs Bolivia: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more

15 mins to kick: Neymar is level with Pele atop the goal scoring charts for Brazil all-time, as both sit on 77 goals. Tonight, Neymar could become the sole all-time leading goal scorer in Brazil history.

30 mins to kick: In the other qualifier going on right now, Uruguay is ahead of Chile 2-0 thanks in part to this excellent goal from Federico Valverde. That's one Real Madrid man on the scoresheet tonight, can Rodrygo follow that up?

45 mins to kick: Bolivia head coach Gustavo Costas has deployed an incredibly inexperienced starting lineup. He goes with Guillermo Viscarra in goal ahead of 53-cap veteran Carlos Lampe, plus a trio of youngsters in defensive roles as 22-year-old Jairo Quinteros, 22-year-old Marcelo Suarez, and 21-year-old Diego Medina are all selected.

This is a very big test for such a youthful group.

1 hour to kickoff: Lineups are in. Just like Brazilian publication Globo predicted the day before, Fernando Diniz has decided to start Neymar in a No. 10 role amidst a very attacking lineup. Gabriel earns his international debut, while Ederson is in goal for this match against a vastly inferior opponent. Casemiro wears the captain's armband.

1 hour 15 mins to kick: There's still over an hour to go before kickoff, and the scene at tonight's 65,000 seat venue Estadio Mangueirao is already a very lively one!

1 hour 30 mins to kick: Something incredible to think about is that Arsenal center-back Gabriel has never made an appearance for Brazil. He is reportedly in line to start tonight, earning his international debut.

Gabriel was called in back in March for a World Cup qualifier but was unable to attend due to the birth of his child. He was then controversially snubbed from Brazil's 2022 World Cup roster.

1 hour 45 mins to kick: Interim head coach Fernando Diniz says that for him, coaching is "therapeutic" which helps explain his desire to take on two jobs at once.

2 hours to kickoff: If Neymar is less than fully fit to play, it would be unwise for head coach Fernando Diniz to risk his injury-riddled superstar in a match of little importance against a far inferior opponent. Yet it appears that Neymar could be deployed, given his appearance at Brazil's pre-match media availability.

Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus was extremely against Neymar's international call-up, as the former Paris Saint-Germain forward has yet to appear for his new Saudi club, so this is clearly a risk. Neymar, though, insists he is healthy to play, and even claims he could have debuted for Al Hilal earlier. Yet, worryingly, he did say he's "not 100%, but I'm fine". That's not exactly an inspiring take on his fitness.

With so many other attacking stars missing, Diniz may be tempted to deploy Neymar here today.

Brazil vs Bolivia lineups & team news

Superstar Neymar has not appeared for his new Saudi club Al Hilal yet since joining this summer, due to his recovery from ankle surgery in the spring, but he is nearing a return. He was selected to take part in Brazil's pre-match media availability, which is usually a sign that a player is slated to start the upcoming match.

Brazil are missing a number of key players, however. Vinicius Jr and Eder Militao have suffered serious injuries at Real Madrid and are not on the roster, while both Antony and Lucas Paqueta were removed from the squad after becoming embroiled in legal issues.

Fernando Diniz has a selection issue at full-back, as both sides are thin in the Brazil player pool. Juventus right-back Danilo is a candidate to start, but he's 32 years old and not a long-term solution, while the other option is 22-year-old Vanderson who plays for Monaco and has one lone cap to his name. On the left side, only Renan Lodi and uncapped Caio Henrique are options in the September squad.

Brazil starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson (GK) — Danilo, Gabriel, Marquinhos, Lodi — Casemiro, Guimaraes — Raphinha, Neymar, Rodrygo — Richarlison.

Brazil subs (12): Alisson (GK), Perri (GK), Vanderson, Nino, R. Ibanez, Henrique, Andre, Joelinton, R. Veiga, Martinelli, Cunha, Jesus.

Bolivia is led by 36-year-old forward Marcelo Martins who plays for Colombian giants Independiente del Valle and has 102 caps to his name, the only player in the squad with over 55 international appearances.

Most of the remaining squad plays domestically in Bolivia, but a few youngsters playing overseas represent the next generation of Bolivian talent.

One player to watch off the bench for Bolivia is 19-year-old Miguelito who plays for Brazilian side Santos, where he's been since joining their youth side at 14. The young playmaker has made his professional debut for the club but is still looking to break into the first-team squad as a regular option. He is teammates at the club and international level with fellow 19-year-old forward Enzo Monteiro who is also in the Bolivia squad for this match.

Also potentially making an impact is 22-year-old winger Jaume Cuellar who plays for Barca B in Spain, on loan from third-tier club Lugo.

Bolivia starting lineup (5-4-1): Viscarra (GK) — Medina, Quinteros, Jusino, M. Suarez, R. Fernandez — Bejarano, Cespedes, Villamil, Arrascaita — M. Martins.

Bolivia subs (12): Lampe (GK), Uraezana (GK), Haquin, Terceros, Villarroel, Algaranaz, Cuellar, Abrego, Ursino, Saucedo, Cuellar, Roca.

How to watch Brazil vs Bolivia

Following a late agreement, broadcast rights in the United States for Brazil's home World Cup qualifiers have been secured by Telemundo and Univision.

That means viewers in the USA should be able to watch the match on TV in Spanish language via Universo in the United States. Fubo subscribers can also access that channel, and it is available on the channel's premium streaming service Universo NOW.

The match can also be streamed in the United States via ViX, TelevisaUnivision's Spanish-language service.

Brazil vs Bolivia is not set to be available globally to regions including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA

Brazil vs Bolivia betting odds & lines

Brazil have not lost to Bolivia since a shock 2-1 defeat in 2009, a run of six matches unbeaten that includes five wins and a scoreless draw, with Brazil out-scoring Bolivia 21-0 across that span.

There's no doubt that Brazil, who beat Bolivia 4-0 and 5-0 in their two qualifiers in the previous World Cup cycle, will almost surely come away with the win in this match. What could be debated is their margin of victory, given that Vinicius Jr, Antony, Lucas Paqueta, and Eder Militao are all out of the picture due to injury or other issues, and both Neymar and Gabriel Jesus are in the midst of their recovery.

  Brazil
win		 Draw Bolivia
win		 Both teams
to score Y / N		 Over / Under
4.5 goals		 BRA
-3.5		 BOL
+3.5
BetMGM
(USA)		 -3000 +1350 +3000 +160 / -225 +100 / -140 -115 -125
Sports
Interaction
(Canada)		 1.02 11.00 35.00 — 1.97 / 1.75 1.83 1.90
Unibet
(Australia)		 1.03 17.50 41.00 — 2.08 / 1.75 1.97 1.86
Dafabet
(India)		 1.04 18.00 60.00 — 1.91 / 1.91 2.02 1.82

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.