In terms of the 90 minutes in Para on Friday evening, Rodrygo was the standard bearer for the hosts, scoring a brace as Brazil topped Bolivia 5-1 to begin 2026 World Cup qualifying.
Yet the Real Madrid youngster had to take a back seat to the larger narrative.
Neymar, who missed a penalty earlier in the match, scored Brazil’s fourth and final goal to become his country’s all-time leading goal scorer, bagging his 78th career international strike to pass the legendary Pele and stand all alone atop the chart.