Neymar nearly lost ability to walk at World Cup but will break Pele record in Qatar

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has moved to within two goals of Pele's all-time Brazil record with the World Cup his chance to cement his legacy.

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The 30-year-old scored a penalty during the Selecao's 5-1 win over Tunisia on Tuesday to stretch their unbeaten record to 14 matches in the last game ahead of Qatar.

It marked his 75th goal in 121 appearances for his country, putting him just three goals short of surpassing record-holder Pele's 77.

Neymar told Telefoot of chasing Pele: "God willing…I hope to get past him.

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"I'm going to talk to my teammates about it and tell them to help me score so I can finally get there."

Neymar's form will be crucial to whether Brazil can live up to their favourite tags in what will be his third appearance at the World Cup.

The PSG forward first made his international bow after the 2010 edition, with Brazil set for years of non-competitive football due to being the 2014 hosts.

All eyes were on Neymar as the marquee player on home soil and he looked to be delivering, with four goals in his first four games.

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Yet in the quarter-finals he was left with a fractured vertebrae after Juan Zuniga's horror tackle in a win over Colombia.

Neymar missed Brazil's 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi's as a result but it could have been a lot worse, with his injury nearly curtailing his entire career.

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"When he tackles me, I feel a reaction, but I try to get up. I was in a lot of pain and I remember that I had my head on the ground and Marcelo was saying "no, no, get the doctors in." I said: "No, no, no, I want to play" because I wanted to score," he said in an interview with former Barcelona team-mate Gerard Pique.

"I couldn't turn and the doctors came in… I couldn't manage to lift my legs.

"I couldn't move my legs and the doctor took me out and I started to cry because it was painful and I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel my legs, so I went to the hospital that's in the stadium."

He added: "Then I went to the hospital, did the tests, and they told me: 'I have two pieces of news. One good and one bad.

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"The bad one: you can't play at the World Cup, it's over for you." And I'm like: 'what's the good one?'

"'The good news is that afterwards, you will be able to walk, because two centimetres to the side… football is over for you.' "

Following that disappointing end to the 2014 World Cup, Neymar came into Russia four years later with a point to prove.

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But the Samba star was rushing back from a long term lay off and couldn't prevent Brazil's quarter-finals exit to Belgium.

All of this makes the World Cup in Qatar all the more important, with Neymar set to be past his physical peak by the time 2026 rolls around.

The Olympic Gold medallist will be relishing the opportunity to break Pele's record on football's biggest stage.

Brazil have been handed a favourable draw, with games against Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon on offer in Group G.

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In addition, the Qatar tournament comes in the middle of the European season meaning Neymar - who has scored eight goals in his first eight league games for PSG - won't be suffering from burnout.

Andres Iniesta told One Football about Neymar: "For me, he's one of the best players I've ever seen and with whom I've played.

"He is a machine for playing football, dribbling, and passing. I believe that when we talk about football, we are talking about spectacle, enjoying what the players present.

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"And I think that seeing Ney playing is synonymous with that."

The 2022 World Cup represents Neymar's best chance to end Brazil's 20-year wait for title number six.

Pele's record of 77 goals for the South American country has stood for more than 51 years.

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The 81-year-old is a three-time World Cup winner, but has never won the competition's Golden Boot.

As Brazil's main man Neymar would likely claim that prize should his side go the distance in Qatar - but the honour of living up to a comparison with Pele that has followed him for decades will surely be far greater…