Brazil's ailing football legend Pelé has taken to Instagram to congratulate Neymar on beating his own goalscoring record in the Seleção on what is "not the happiest day for us".

In the World Cup quarter-final knockout with the 2-4 penalty shoot-out (1-1 aet) against Croatia, Neymar scored the 1-0 lead in extra time, scoring his 77th goal in the national jersey and drawing level with his idol.

“My record was set almost 50 years ago and no one has been able to come close to this day.

You did it boy,” wrote Pelé, who was admitted to a hospital in Sao Paulo with a respiratory infection ten days ago, according to the medical bulletin.

The 82-year-old ignores the counting method of the domestic CBF association, which lists 95 goals for the three-time world champion, 18 of them in games not recognized by the world association FIFA.

Pelé encouraged Neymar, who, like himself, grew up at FC Santos, to refrain from a contemplated retirement from the Seleção and to chase further records and the hoped-for sixth World Cup title at the finals in four years.

"Your legacy is far from over.

Keep inspiring us,” said the footballer of the century to the 30-year-old.

Brazil fans want Guardiola

Brazil's soccer fans, meanwhile, want to put the dream of the "Hexa", the sixth World Cup title, in the hands of Spanish coach Pep Guardiola after the end in Qatar.

The master maker from England's top club Manchester City is just a few hours after the Seleção's World Cup knockout again in several polls as the favorite to succeed Tite, who resigned in the evening.

On the Globoesporte internet portal, they voted more than 32 percent in favor of the former Bayern coach and title collector at FC Barcelona until just before midnight.

At UOL Esporte, too, almost a third of the votes go to the Spaniard.

However, Portugal's Abel Ferreira, who led SE Palmeiras to the Brazilian championship this year and in recent years to the 2020 cup and Copa Libertadores triumphs in 2020 and 2021, is the number one favorite there.

Homegrown contenders like Dorival Junior, who recently won the Libertadores Cup with CR Flamengo, are only found further down the polls.

A decision on Tite's successor is not planned before January.

The CBF had already asked the former Bayern coach Guardiola once, but was deterred by an alleged annual salary of 24 million euros.

For incumbent Tite, more than six years in charge at the Seleção bank ended on Friday.

In 81 games under the direction of the 61-year-old, who is planning a six-month break hoping for offers from Europe, there have been only six defeats, but including the painful bankruptcies in the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals against Belgium and now against Croatia and last year in the final at the Copa America in the domestic Maracana against Argentina.