BELEM — Brazil lived up to expectations by smashing Bolivia 5-1 at home in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers opener on Friday, with Neymar surpassing the late great Pelé as the country's top scorer.

The 31-year-old Neymar, who recently joined Saudi side Al-Hilal, bounced back after missing a penalty in the first half, scoring two goals in the 61st and 93rd minutes to become the country's all-time top scorer with 79 goals.

Neymar goal vs Bolivia

¡La regaló Neymar!

Brazilian giant Flamengo played their first game of 2023 on Thursday night and took the chance to honor the memory of Pelé, who died on Dec. 29. Sadly, not everybody at the Maracanã Stadium showed due respect to O Rei, with a group of fans chanting and calling him a "pothead" during a customary minute of silence. 

SANTOS, Brazil - Emotional crowds bid Brazil soccer legend Pelé a final farewell on Tuesday, lining the streets of Santos to watch his coffin taken to its final resting place from the city's stadium where 230,000 mourners had filed past his open casket.

Young and old embraced as the funeral procession wound its way through the costal city's streets for hours, with some fans in tears and others cheering and drumming for a national hero who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history.

SANTOS, Brazil - The Brazilian coastal city of Santos, which sporting giant Pelé turned into a byword for soccer brilliance during a glittering club career, prepared to bid goodbye to its hero on Monday with a 24-hour wake.

A memorial will be held for Pelé, who died on Thursday at the age of 82 after battling colon cancer, at the Vila Belmiro stadium, the home of Santos Football Club.

"The expectation is huge, the whole world will be here," said local fan Roberto Santos. "Pelé needs no presentation. Pelé for us is everything."