Brazil national team top scorers of all time

As one of the most honored national teams in the world, Brazil has one of the most glorious eras. Also referred to as “Seleção”, Brazil is the most successful national team in the FIFA World Cup, being the champions five times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002.

Additionally, the team is the only one to have played in all World Cup editions without any absence or need for playoffs, while it has also become the Copa America winner for nine times and the FIFA Confederation Cup for four times.

Knowing all these facts, no one can deny that the team must have been full of stars, bringing us to this article today, to take a look at

Brazil national team top scorers of all time

.

Top goalscorers for Brazil national football team

Below is a list of the

highest goal scorers in Brazil national team history

.

Pele

• Current team:

  Retired

• Total appearances:

  92

• Goals:

  77

Known to be one of

, the well-known Brazilian footballer's international debut goes back to 1957 when his team faced Argentina at the Maracanã.

Being one of the record breakers in the history of football,

scored his first goal for Brazil aged 16 years and nine months, to become and remain the youngest goalscorer for his country.

Just one year later, he joined Brazil to take part in the Sweden World cup, where he not only became the youngest player ever to participate in the World Cup but also scored a hat-trick in their semi-final match against France and became the youngest in World Cup history to do so. Later on, he scored two goals in that final against Sweden and defeated the hosts 5–2 in Stockholm.

Interestingly that was only the beginning of Pele’s dazzling career. During the 1962 World cup he took part in Brazil’s first match against Chile, where he assisted and then scored a goal against their rivals, but sadly was then injured during their next match against Czechoslovakia and was replaced for the rest of the tournament.

During the 1966 World Cup Brazil could not shine as expected, despite the presence of many football stars, performing for the team.

However, four years later Pele compensated for the two previous tournaments, beginning with six World Cup qualifying matches and scoring six goals.

Brazil’s 1970 World Cup team included players like Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Gérson, Carlos Alberto Torres, Tostão and Clodoaldo. The team was regarded as one of the greatest teams in history, with Pelé having a central role in their way to the final.

Facing Italy in the final match Pelé scored the opening goal with a header. With Gérson, Jairzinho, and Carlos Alberto scoring the next three goals, Brazil won the match 4–1, and Pelé received the Golden Ball of the tournament.

Eventually, Pele faced Yugoslavia in Rio de Janeiro as his last international match for Brazil in 1971. It is intriguing to know that during Pele’s presence in Brazil, the team had 67 wins and 14 draws, while it only lost 11 matches. More interestingly, the team never lost a match with Pelé and Garrincha both on the pitch!

Neymar

• Current team:

  Paris Saint-Germain

• Total appearances:

  118

• Goals:

  74

As the only Brazil national team top scorer who is still performing on the pitch,

started his international career back in 2009, joining the international under-17 team. Eventually, he joined the first team back in 2010, becoming the second Brazil national team top scorer in no time. Neymar was first selected to perform for the first team in a friendly match against the United States, which was held in August 2010. He scored in the 28th minute of the match and since has scored 74 goals in 119 matches for Brazil.

Moreover, you must know that Neymar has played a crucial role in Brazil’s victory in all its achievements, since the day he joined the team.  To name a few, we can mention the 2011 South American Youth Championship, where he was honored as the leading goalscorer, later on winning the silver medal in men's football at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In 2013 the young successful player managed to win the Golden Ball at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Some more of his brilliant achievements are:

The 2016 Summer Olympics gold medal in men's football, the FIFA Puskás Award, the UEFA Team of the Year two times, and the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season three times.

Ronaldo

• Current team:

  Retired

• Total appearances:

  98

• Goals:

  62

The third name on our list of

Brazil national team top scorers of all time

is the Brazilian Ronaldo.

Making his international debut for Brazil in 1994 in a friendly match against Argentina, he went on to perform in 98 matches, scoring 62 for Brazil.

Interestingly, the young star was part of the Brazil team that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup, though he did not play during that year’s tournament. However, four years later, he accompanied his team, where they finished the tournament as the runners-up, with Ronaldo being awarded the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament.

However, that was only the beginning of Ronaldo’s great job at the FIFA World Cup tournaments. Back in the 2002 World Cup tournament the trio of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo, achieved Brazil a great victory, while Ronaldo also could achieve the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goalscorer.

Along with all these great World Cup achievements,

was also the Ballon d'Or in 1997, still remaining the youngest recipient of the award, while he also won the title in 2002 for the second time.

He also helped Brazil win the 1997 Copa América, where he became the player of the tournament, and the 1999 Copa América, where he was the top goalscorer.

Romário

• Current team:

  Retired

• Total appearances:

  71

• Goals:

  55

Regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time,

, who was known for his clinical finishing, started his international career back in 1987 and was a member of the Brazilian national team, which won the silver Olympic medal in Seoul in 1988. During the tournament, he also collected the top-goalscorer title with seven goals in six matches.

Romario was a team member at the 1990 World Cup. However, he could take part in only one match due to injury. Though he was supposed to make things up for his national team in the next FIFA World Cup, he was put aside for most of the qualification games for the tournament, by then coach, Parreira, after a declaration Romario made following a friendly match they had against Germany, in which Romario was left on the bench. Anyways, eventually, he was called for their last qualifier against Uruguay, which they had to finish in a tie or victory, to be qualified for the tournament. Interestingly, Romario did what he had to do, scoring both goals of Brazil’s 2-0 victory against their rivals. 

Brazil by the end became the champions of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, with Romario as the FIFA World Player of the Year, also receiving the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament.

Romario also helped Brazil win the 1997 FIFA World Cup and FIFA Confederations Cup.

Zico

• Current team:

  Retired

• Total appearances:

  71

• Goals:

  48

Regarded as the greatest Brazilian to never win the World Cup,

, who was also called the “White Pele”, was one of the world's best players of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

He was a part of Brazil’s team in 1978, 1982, and 1986 World Cups. However, they did not make it to the finals in any of these tournaments, though they earned the third spot at the 1978 FIFA World Cup. In addition, Zico helped Brazil win the third spot at the 1979 Copa América, while he was also chosen as the 1981 and 1983 Player of the Year.

Bebeto

• Current team:

  Retired

• Total appearances:

  76

• Goals:

  40

The sixth highest goalscorer for Brazil's national team is Bebeto, who scored 39 goals in 75 appearances for Brazil.

Starting his national career with Brazil in 1985, he made his debut for the team in June that year and was a crucial part of the team till 1998, during which he helped the team win the 1989 Copa América, 1994 FIFA World Cup, and the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.

At the 1989 Copa América,

was the tournament’s top scorer, while he was also a member of the Brazilian team that won Olympic silver and bronze medals at the 1988 and 1996 Summer Olympic Games respectively, being also the 1996 tournament’s top scorer.

Moreover, Bebeto was named South American Footballer of the Year in 1989.

Rivaldo

• Current team:

  Retired

• Total appearances:

  76

• Goals:

  35

The next name on our list of the

highest Brazil top scorers

is Rivaldo, who is greatly known for his skillfulness and creativity. Starting his international career back in 1993,

soon proved to be one of the best players in the world, helping his team win the 1997 Confederations Cup.

One year later he helped Brazil on their way to the 1998 FIFA World Cup final, where they finished as the runners-up, and also the 1999 Copa América where they finished as the champions with Rivaldo being chosen as the player of the tournament. The great star also achieved the Ballon d'Or in 1999.

2022, however, was even more incredible, as Rivaldo, being a part of the trio with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, achieved Brazil the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He was also named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team in 2002, as he scored in five of Brazil's seven games at the tournament.

Jairzinho

• Current team:

  Retired

• Total appearances:

  81

• Goals:

  35

Regarded as the hurricane for the many goals he scored,

is the next name on our list of Brazil's national team all-time top scorers, with 35 goals for his team.

Beginning his national career in 1964 and made his debut when he was 19 years old in a match against Portugal.

After Garrincha’s retirement from the national team, Jairzinho took over as the right wing and scored 2 goals out of 6 during the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification matches, and that was only the beginning for even brighter days to come.

Jairzinho was one of the key players at the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico and was nicknamed the hurricane for scoring in every game he played for Brazil during the tournament. It is also worth mentioning that the brilliant star scored his seventh goal of that year’s tournament in Brazil's 4–1 win over Italy in the final, with Pele, Gérson, and Carlos Alberto scoring the other three.

Four years later Jairzinho took part in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, scoring two goals for his side during the tournament, with Brazil earning the fourth spot at the end.

Ronaldinho 

• Current team:

  Retired

• Total appearances:

  97

• Goals:

  33

The next name in our article about the

all-time top scorers in Brazil national team history

is

, who has scored 33 goals in 97 caps and represented his country in two FIFA World Cups.

Making his debut for Seleção in June 1999, he is regarded as one of the greatest footballers in the world. Ronaldinho was a part of the Brazil team, which won the 1999 Copa America. He also took part in the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup; a tournament in which Dinho scored in every match except for the final, where Brazil lost the match to Mexico. However, Gaucho won the tournament’s Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards interestingly.

Three years later Ronaldinho took part in the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament, where he took part in 5 matches, scoring 2 times and providing three assists.

Reforming the same trio from the 1999 Copa America, Ronaldinho as a member of the “three Rs”, along with Ronaldo, and Rivaldo, guided Brazil to winning that year’s FIFA Cup, hence being named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.

 Back on the pitch in 2005, Ronaldinho captained the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil team which won the tournament, being himself named the Man of the Match in the final against Argentina which ended in Brazil’s 4-1 victory.

Time to go through the last name on our list of Brazil national team all-time top scorers.

Tostão

• Current team:

  Retired

• Total appearances:

  55

• Goals:

  32

Being retired from his professional football career at a young age, Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade, known as Tostão, is the next name in this article today.

Being remembered for his performance as a forward at the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Tostão scored two of the 32 goals for Brazil during the tournament. However, two years later he retired from his international career, with his club retirement coming the next year, due to a detached retina injury he picked in 1969 after being hit in the face by a ball during a match against Corinthians.

And that was all on our article about Brazil's Record goal scorers. Which Brazil star do you admire the most? Let us know in the comment section below. 

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