Neymar overtook Ronaldo and advanced to second place behind Pele in the Brazil national team's top scorer list throughout the ages, after his hat-trick during the 4-2 victory over Peru last night in the World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker now has 64 goals, two ahead of Ronaldo, and 13 goals behind Pele, who tops the list with 77 goals, according to FIFA's statistics.
Brazil coach Tite has been reluctant to compare his current superstar to former great players.
"It is unfair to make these comparisons. What I can say is that Neymar has things that cannot be expected."
He continued, "The bow and arrow, and a player who can create and take advantage of opportunities. It improves over time and matures."
In Tuesday's match, Neymar equalized and then defeated Ronaldo with two goals from the penalty spot before scoring his international goal 64 in stoppage time at the National Stadium in Lima.
The 28-year-old celebrated by pointing to the number 9 with his hands, apparently in honor of Ronaldo, the former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Corinthians striker.
Neymar, who made his first international match in 2010, scored 64 goals in 103 international matches.