Neymar set to win 100th cap against Senegal… and Brazil’s star player receives a special shirt marking the occasion as he closes in on Ronaldo’s goal tally
- Neymar has scored 61 goals in 99 Brazil games and is one short of Ronaldo’s tally
- Pele holds the record for most goals with a staggering 77 strikes for his country
- The 27-year-old is in the starting XI for the friendly against Senegal in Singapore
- Brazil manager Tite voted for Senegal’s Sadio Mane in the FIFA Best Awards
Neymar will win his 100th cap for Brazil when the five-time World Cup winners face Senegal for the first time.
Head coach Tite has named a strong side for the friendly in Singapore, with Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson and team-mate Gabriel Jesus in the starting XI alongside Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino.
Neymar has scored 61 goals in his 99 appearances for the national side to date, just one behind Ronaldo and 16 adrift of record holder Pele.
Neymar is presented with a special shirt marking his 100th cap by former player Bebeto
The Brazilian forward made his debut for the national team in 2010 at 18 years old
Both sides come into the fixture in good form with Brazil winning the Copa America this summer and Senegal reaching the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost to Algeria.
Tite is expecting a tough game and is particularly looking forward to seeing Sadio Mane in action after voting the Liverpool forward the third best player in the world in the recent FIFA The Best awards.
‘Mane is a very mobile player, agile, has skill, has very strong personal ability,’ Tite told a pre-match press conference.
‘That’s why I chose him as the third (best) in the world. Earlier I mentioned (Mo) Salah, but in this campaign last season he was more effective. My vote was not who is better, but who made the best campaign.’
Tite has been employing a 4-4-2 system with Neymar and Firmino up front and Jesus and Philippe Coutinho on either side of midfield, but could experiment before World Cup qualifying begins in March.
Neymar speaks at a press conference alongside the commemorative shirt and a plaque
Sadio Mane will also be in action in Singapore in what is a star-studded list of players on Friday
‘That’s why I chose him as the third (best) in the world. Earlier I mentioned (Mo) Salah, but in this campaign last season he was more effective. My vote was not who is better, but who made the best campaign.’
Tite has been employing a 4-4-2 system with Neymar and Firmino up front and Jesus and Philippe Coutinho on either side of midfield, but could experiment before World Cup qualifying begins in March.
Brazil also face Nigeria in a friendly in Singapore on Sunday.