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| Pepe vs Brazil |
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Brazil Greatest All-Time Team
Argentine-born players capped by other national teams
English-born players capped by other national teams
German-Born players capped by other national teams
French-born players capped by other national Teams
If Ronaldo and Messi played for Australia in 2006
Brazil 1982 with Careca, etc
Brazilian footballers who shared names with historical figures
Brazil has one of the richest talent pool in the world. Many Brazilians have been capped by other national teams. Equatorial Guinea, Togo and Japan are among countries that capped the most Brazilians. Even Germany and Italy, two countries that won 4 World Cup each, capped Brazilian-born players. Anfilogino Guarisi became the first Brazil-born player to win the World Cup when Italy won the World Cup in 1934. Pepe, Deco, Marcos Senna and Diego Costa would have contributed to the Brazilian national team if they chose to represent Brazil. In fact, Jose Altafini has won a World Cup with Brazil in 1958. Marco Senna won the European Championship with Spain and then, Pepe did it with Portugal in 2016.
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| Diego Costa vs Mario Fernandes |
Team
GK: Guilherme Marinato (Russia)
Guilherme Marinato made his professional debut for Atlético Paranaense in 2005. In August 2007, Guilherme signed a five-year contract with FC Lokomotiv Moscow, becoming the first Brazilian goalkeeper in Russian football. In 2015, he became a Russian citizen. He played his first senior national team game in 2016. He was also a backup at the European Championship in 2016.GK: Mauricio Viana (Chile)
Born in Sao Paulo, he moved ti Chile when he was 5 years old. He made his professional debut with Santiago Wanderers in 2008. He had a loan spell in Mexico with Jaguares de Chiapas de México. At the time of writing, Mauricio Viana has only played in friendlies for Chile. He only sat on the bench. However, he had represented Chile at the youth level.
GK: Alexander Negri (Cyprus)
Negri signed in 2007 with APOP Kinyras FC from Aris Thessaloniki. For AEK Larnaca , he was an idol of the club and played in the Europa League After a few years playing in the country, he became a naturalized and was called up a few times for Euro 2016 qualifying games. Negri previously played for Ponte Preta in the Campeonato Brasileiro, He had stints in Romania, France, etc.
RB: Mario Fernandes (Russia)
Mario Fernandes made his name with Gremio in Brazil, where he played from 2009 to 2012. In 2012, he joined CSKA Moscow. In 2014, he played a single game for Brazil against Japan in a friendly match. After receiving his Russia citizenship in 2016, he opted to play for Russia. In 2017, he made his debut for Russia. During the World Cup Finals in 2018, he scored an important goal against Croatia in the quarterfinal.
CB: Pepe (Portugal)
Pepe left Brazil to join CS Maritimo in Portugal as a teenage. In 2004, he joined Porto, where he won two league titles. Then, 2008, he made a big move to Real Madrid. At the time of writing, he has played 7 seasons with them, winning the Champions' League in 2014. In 2008, he became a naturalized Portuguese citizen. He went to the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, and the WC finals in 2010 and 2014.
AM: Deco (Portugal)
Deco was signed by Benfica from Brazil as a teenager, but he never played for them. Instead, from 1999 to 2004, he starred for Porto, where they won the UEFA Cup in 2003 and the Champions' League in 2004. He would win his second Champions' League in 2006 with Barcelona. He made Portugal's debut ironically against Brazil in 2003. He went to Germany 2006 and South 2010, and Euro 2004 and Euro 2008.
FW: Liedson (Portugal)
Liedson moved to Sporting CP in 2003 after playing for Corinthians and Flamengo without successes. From 2003 to 2011, he scored 173 goals for them, becoming one of the club's greatest players. He helped them to reach the UEFA Cup Final in 2005. With Corinthians, he won the Copa Libertadores in 2012. Although he is a Brazilian by birth, he chose to play for Portugal. He was first capped by Portugal in 2009 and went to play at the World Cup in 2010. He had 15 caps in total.
ST: Jose Altafini "Mazzola" (Italy)
He started his career with Palmeiras before joining AC Milan right after the WC Finals in 1958. From 1958 to 1976, he scored 216 goals in Serie A making him the joint-fourth highest scorer in Serie A history. He won the European Cup in 1963, scoring 14 goals, which was finally broken by Cristano Ronaldo in 2014. He made played for Brazil, using the name "Mazzola". In 1962, he played for Italy at the World Cup Finals. He earned 6 caps for Italy scoring 5 goals.
ST: Luis Oliveira (Belgium)
-- Otávio Fantoni (Nininho) and his cousins were important members of Palestra Italian (Cruzeiro's former name). The Fantoni family was important to the club's history. His cousins were Ninão (aka Fantoni I), Leonízio Fantoni (Niginho) and Orlando Fantoni. They would move to Lazio in the 1930's, Lazio was then known "Brasilazio" as Brazilian players such as Anfilogino Guarisi (Filó), Alejandro De Maria, Del Debbio, Rato and Amílcar also played for them, but Otávio Fantoni (Nininho) and Anfilogino Guarisi were the only Brazilian players capped by Italy from "Brasilazio". His only cap came in 1934, where he played alongside fellow Brazilian Anfilogino Guarisi. He was not called up for the World Cup Finals, but died a year later. I do not know if he would have earned more caps if he had a longer life. In July, 2023, I added him to this team because of the lack of midfielders. I dropped Cacau (Germany). Cacau moved to Germany to play fifth level football in 1999. He earned a move to Nürnberg in 2001. He joined VfB Stuttgart in 2003 and stayed there until 2014.He won the Bundesliga in 2007. He became a German citizen in 2009. He made his German national team debut in the same year. He went to the World Cup Finals in 2010..
RB: Mario Fernandes (Russia)
Mario Fernandes made his name with Gremio in Brazil, where he played from 2009 to 2012. In 2012, he joined CSKA Moscow. In 2014, he played a single game for Brazil against Japan in a friendly match. After receiving his Russia citizenship in 2016, he opted to play for Russia. In 2017, he made his debut for Russia. During the World Cup Finals in 2018, he scored an important goal against Croatia in the quarterfinal.
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| Mario Fernandes |
CB/RB: Rafael Tolói (Italy)
Rafael started playing for Goiás Esporte Clube in 2008. He then played for Sao Paulo between 2012 and 2015 with a brief loan spell with AS Roma. Since 2015, he plays for Atalanta. He became their captain in the 2020-2021 season. He had represented Brazil at the youth level. In 2021, he switched to play for Italy. He played in Euro 2020 held in 2021.
CB/DM: Donato (Spain)
Donato began his career with America Football Club in his hometown, switching to neighbours CR Vasco da Gama in 1984. From 1988 to 2003, he played in Spain. He started with Atletico Madrid. He became a star with Deportivo La Coruna during the most successful period in the club's history. They won La Liga in the 1999-2000 season. He earned 12 caps for Spain and went to Euro 1996 in England.
CB/DM: Mehmet Aurelio (Turkey)
Mehmet Aurelio played with Flamengo and Olaria in Brazil before moving to Turkey. He played for Trabzonspor, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş with a stint with Real Betis in between. Born in Brazil, he chose to play forTurkey. He earned 37 caps, playing at the European Championship in 2008. He was also Turkish Player of the Year in 2007.
Donato began his career with America Football Club in his hometown, switching to neighbours CR Vasco da Gama in 1984. From 1988 to 2003, he played in Spain. He started with Atletico Madrid. He became a star with Deportivo La Coruna during the most successful period in the club's history. They won La Liga in the 1999-2000 season. He earned 12 caps for Spain and went to Euro 1996 in England.
CB/DM: Mehmet Aurelio (Turkey)
Mehmet Aurelio played with Flamengo and Olaria in Brazil before moving to Turkey. He played for Trabzonspor, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş with a stint with Real Betis in between. Born in Brazil, he chose to play forTurkey. He earned 37 caps, playing at the European Championship in 2008. He was also Turkish Player of the Year in 2007.
CB: Pepe (Portugal)
Pepe left Brazil to join CS Maritimo in Portugal as a teenage. In 2004, he joined Porto, where he won two league titles. Then, 2008, he made a big move to Real Madrid. At the time of writing, he has played 7 seasons with them, winning the Champions' League in 2014. In 2008, he became a naturalized Portuguese citizen. He went to the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, and the WC finals in 2010 and 2014.
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| Pepe |
LB: Jose Clayton (Tunisia)
Although Clayton was born in Brazil, he spent a large part of his club career in Tunisia playing for Espérance Sportive de Tunis, and became a naturalized citizen in time for the 1998 World Cup. He played for Tunisia twice in that tournament, as well as one match in 2002. He earned 39 caps. He had a brief spell with Sakaryaspor in the Turkish Super Lig. He also spent time with Qatari-based side Al Sadd.
LB: Emerson Palmieri (Italy)
In 2011, Emerson Palmieri began his career with Santos. After a brief loan spell with Palermo in Italy, he joined AS Roma in 2015. In 2017, he joined Chelsea. Emerson helped Brazil Under 17 winning the 2011 U17 World Cup, but in 2018, he switched to play for Italy in the senior level. He played in Euro 2020 held in 2021, starting in the latter stage of the Finals.
LB: Emerson Palmieri (Italy)
In 2011, Emerson Palmieri began his career with Santos. After a brief loan spell with Palermo in Italy, he joined AS Roma in 2015. In 2017, he joined Chelsea. Emerson helped Brazil Under 17 winning the 2011 U17 World Cup, but in 2018, he switched to play for Italy in the senior level. He played in Euro 2020 held in 2021, starting in the latter stage of the Finals.
DM: Marcos Senna (Spain)
Before 2002, Marcos Senna played for various clubs in Brazil. In 2002, he joined Villarreal in La Liga. He stayed there until 2013. He helped the club to reach the semifinal of the Champions' League in 2006. He became a Spanish citizen in 2006. He went to the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany. He also helped Spain to win the European Championship in 2008 as a starting defensive midfielder.
Before 2002, Marcos Senna played for various clubs in Brazil. In 2002, he joined Villarreal in La Liga. He stayed there until 2013. He helped the club to reach the semifinal of the Champions' League in 2006. He became a Spanish citizen in 2006. He went to the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany. He also helped Spain to win the European Championship in 2008 as a starting defensive midfielder.
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| Senna |
CM: Thiago Motta (Italy)
Thiago Motta obtained Italian citizenship because of his Italian grandfather. He had previously represented Brazil twice but for the U-23 team at the 2003 Gold Cup. He cleared to play for Italy in 2010. He represented Italy at Euro 2012 and Brazil 2014. For his club career, he played for Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Genoa, Inter Milan and Paris St. Germain.
Thiago Motta obtained Italian citizenship because of his Italian grandfather. He had previously represented Brazil twice but for the U-23 team at the 2003 Gold Cup. He cleared to play for Italy in 2010. He represented Italy at Euro 2012 and Brazil 2014. For his club career, he played for Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Genoa, Inter Milan and Paris St. Germain.
CM: Thiago Alcantara (Spain)
Thiago Alcantara is the son of the 1994 World Cup winner Mazinho. He was born in Italy when his father was playing in Italy. He joined Barcelona in 2005. He was a star with the Spanish Under-21 team as they won the European Under-21 Championship in 2013. In 2013, he shocked the Barcelona fans by joining Bayern Munich. He helped them to win the Champions League in 2020. For Spain, he played 46 times.
CM: Jorginho (Italy)
Born in Brazil, Jorginho moved to Italy at the age of 15, and began his career with Verona. From 2014 to 2018, he played for Napoli. He joined Chelsea in 2018. He helped the club to win the Europa League in 2019. And then, he was a part of the team that won the Champions' League in 2021. Since 2016, he has represented Italy at the senior level. He is eligible to play for Brazil too. He starred for Italy as they won Euro 2020.
CM: Jorginho (Italy)
Born in Brazil, Jorginho moved to Italy at the age of 15, and began his career with Verona. From 2014 to 2018, he played for Napoli. He joined Chelsea in 2018. He helped the club to win the Europa League in 2019. And then, he was a part of the team that won the Champions' League in 2021. Since 2016, he has represented Italy at the senior level. He is eligible to play for Brazil too. He starred for Italy as they won Euro 2020.
MF: Otávio Fantoni/Nininho (Italy)
He was born in Belo Horizonte, into a family of Italian origin, which supported Cruzeiro, than known as Palestra Itália. In Cruzeiro, he played along with his cousins João Fantoni (Ninão) and Leonízio Fantoni (Niginho). In 1931, they were sold to Lazio, where they would be known by their surnames, like a dynasty. He made an appearance for Italy on one occasion: in the 1934 World Cup qualification match, on 25 March 1934 against Greece, a 4–0 home victory.
AM: Deco (Portugal)
Deco was signed by Benfica from Brazil as a teenager, but he never played for them. Instead, from 1999 to 2004, he starred for Porto, where they won the UEFA Cup in 2003 and the Champions' League in 2004. He would win his second Champions' League in 2006 with Barcelona. He made Portugal's debut ironically against Brazil in 2003. He went to Germany 2006 and South 2010, and Euro 2004 and Euro 2008.
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| Deco |
Liedson moved to Sporting CP in 2003 after playing for Corinthians and Flamengo without successes. From 2003 to 2011, he scored 173 goals for them, becoming one of the club's greatest players. He helped them to reach the UEFA Cup Final in 2005. With Corinthians, he won the Copa Libertadores in 2012. Although he is a Brazilian by birth, he chose to play for Portugal. He was first capped by Portugal in 2009 and went to play at the World Cup in 2010. He had 15 caps in total.
FW: Anfilogino Guarisi (Italy)
In Brazil, he was known as Filo. He played for Brazil in 1925, but he missed the 1930 World Cup Finals became only players from Rio de Janeiro went to the Finals in Uruguay. He moved to Lazio in 1931, joining other Brazilian-Italians there. The club earned the nickname "Brasilazio". In Italy, he used his real name Guarisi. His mother was Italian. So in1934, he played for Italy at the WC Finals.
In Brazil, he was known as Filo. He played for Brazil in 1925, but he missed the 1930 World Cup Finals became only players from Rio de Janeiro went to the Finals in Uruguay. He moved to Lazio in 1931, joining other Brazilian-Italians there. The club earned the nickname "Brasilazio". In Italy, he used his real name Guarisi. His mother was Italian. So in1934, he played for Italy at the WC Finals.
FW: Eduardo da Silva (Croatia)
He played with Bangu's youth team before Dinamo Zagreb discovered him. He joined their youth squad in 1999. He made his professional debut two seasons later. He became a star at the club and was crowned Croatia's Player of the Year in 2006. In 2007, he made a big move to Arsenal, but he suffered a serious injury in 2008. He represented Croatia at full since 2004. He went to Euro 2012 and Brazil 2014.
He played with Bangu's youth team before Dinamo Zagreb discovered him. He joined their youth squad in 1999. He made his professional debut two seasons later. He became a star at the club and was crowned Croatia's Player of the Year in 2006. In 2007, he made a big move to Arsenal, but he suffered a serious injury in 2008. He represented Croatia at full since 2004. He went to Euro 2012 and Brazil 2014.
ST: Angelo Sormani (Italy)
In Brazil, he was Pele's backup at Santos. He moved to Italian club Mantova F.C. in 1961. In 1963, Roma bought him for a world record fee. He did not play well with Roma and moved to Sampdoria after a single season. He finally found his successes at Milan. He won the European Cup in 1969, the Cup Winners' Cup in 1968 and the Intercontinental Cup in 1969. He played 7 times for Italy because of his Italian ancestry. He went to the WC in 1962.
In Brazil, he was Pele's backup at Santos. He moved to Italian club Mantova F.C. in 1961. In 1963, Roma bought him for a world record fee. He did not play well with Roma and moved to Sampdoria after a single season. He finally found his successes at Milan. He won the European Cup in 1969, the Cup Winners' Cup in 1968 and the Intercontinental Cup in 1969. He played 7 times for Italy because of his Italian ancestry. He went to the WC in 1962.
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| Angelo Sormani |
He started his career with Palmeiras before joining AC Milan right after the WC Finals in 1958. From 1958 to 1976, he scored 216 goals in Serie A making him the joint-fourth highest scorer in Serie A history. He won the European Cup in 1963, scoring 14 goals, which was finally broken by Cristano Ronaldo in 2014. He made played for Brazil, using the name "Mazzola". In 1962, he played for Italy at the World Cup Finals. He earned 6 caps for Italy scoring 5 goals.
ST: Luis Oliveira (Belgium)
Luis Oliveira left Brazil to join Anderlecht in 1988. In 1992, he left Belgium and played in Italy's Serie A. He played for Cagliari, Fiorentina, Bologna, Como, Catania, Foggia, Venezia and Lucchese from 1992 to 2011. He was very successful for Cagliari and Fiorentina. He was naturalised citizen of Belgium. He was capped 31 times and went to France 1998.
ST: Diego Costa (Spain)
Until the age of 16, he was not playing for club football. He joined Atletico Madrid in 2006, but did not become a star until the 2013-2014 season. In March, 2013, he made his national debut for Brazil. However, by summer of 2013, he decided to switch his commitment to Spain after becoming Spanish citizens, which caused a controversy in Brazil. He is believed to be the first Brazilian to turn his back against his country.
Until the age of 16, he was not playing for club football. He joined Atletico Madrid in 2006, but did not become a star until the 2013-2014 season. In March, 2013, he made his national debut for Brazil. However, by summer of 2013, he decided to switch his commitment to Spain after becoming Spanish citizens, which caused a controversy in Brazil. He is believed to be the first Brazilian to turn his back against his country.
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| Diego Costa |
Honorable Mention
Danilo Clementino (Equatorial Guinea), Rodrigo Moreno (Spain), Zague (Mexico), Sinha (Mexico), Agenor Muniz (Australia), Amauri (Italy), Dino da Costa (Italy), Eder (Italy), Paulo Rink (Germany), Kevin Kuranyi (Germany), Thiago Cionek (Poland), Roger Guerreiro (Poland), Phan Van Santos (Vietnam), Francileudo Santos (Tunisia), Francileudo Santos (Tunisia), Cristiano Cordeiro (Hong Kong), Alex (Japan), Ruy Ramos (Japan), Wagner Lopes (Japan), Egmar Goncalves (Singapore), Lucio Wagner (Bulgaria), Marcos Pizzelli (Armenia), Rodrigo (Spain), Catanha (Spain), Heraldo Bezerra (Spain), Rodrigo Tabata (Qatar), Montezine (Qatar), Renan Bressan (Belarus), Igor de Camargo (Belgium), Edivaldo Hermoza (Bolivia), Alexandre Guimarães (Costa Rica), Leandro Augusto (Mexico), Julinho (Peru), Ari (Russia), Leandro (Hungary) , Eilkson (China), Benny Feilhaber (USA), Edmar (Ukraine), Marlos (Ukraine), Junior Moraes (Ukraine), Ernani Pereira (Azerbaijan), Pavlos Papaioannou (Greece), Adrianinho (Austria), Marcelo Martins (Bolivia), Lúcio Wagner (Bulgaria), Cicinho (Bulgaria).
Danilo Clementino (Equatorial Guinea), Rodrigo Moreno (Spain), Zague (Mexico), Sinha (Mexico), Agenor Muniz (Australia), Amauri (Italy), Dino da Costa (Italy), Eder (Italy), Paulo Rink (Germany), Kevin Kuranyi (Germany), Thiago Cionek (Poland), Roger Guerreiro (Poland), Phan Van Santos (Vietnam), Francileudo Santos (Tunisia), Francileudo Santos (Tunisia), Cristiano Cordeiro (Hong Kong), Alex (Japan), Ruy Ramos (Japan), Wagner Lopes (Japan), Egmar Goncalves (Singapore), Lucio Wagner (Bulgaria), Marcos Pizzelli (Armenia), Rodrigo (Spain), Catanha (Spain), Heraldo Bezerra (Spain), Rodrigo Tabata (Qatar), Montezine (Qatar), Renan Bressan (Belarus), Igor de Camargo (Belgium), Edivaldo Hermoza (Bolivia), Alexandre Guimarães (Costa Rica), Leandro Augusto (Mexico), Julinho (Peru), Ari (Russia), Leandro (Hungary) , Eilkson (China), Benny Feilhaber (USA), Edmar (Ukraine), Marlos (Ukraine), Junior Moraes (Ukraine), Ernani Pereira (Azerbaijan), Pavlos Papaioannou (Greece), Adrianinho (Austria), Marcelo Martins (Bolivia), Lúcio Wagner (Bulgaria), Cicinho (Bulgaria).
Squad Explanation
-- I redid the team in August, 2023.
-- I redid the team in August, 2023.
-- Most players I selected moved to their adoptive country for "football reasons". What do I meant by "football reasons'? The players came to those countries as professional footballers. They were in that country for football only. For example, Kevin Kuranyi moved to Germany for reasons other than football. He would still be living in Germany if he is a baker, a lawyer, a teacher, etc. He is not in Germany for football reasons. I tried to select players who went to those countries for "football reasons".
-- Anfilogino Guarisi, Angelo Sormani and Jose Altafini were of Italian ancestry, but they went to Italy for "football reasons".
-- In 2021, Italy used three Brazilian-born footballers as they won the Euro 2020. Jorghinho, Emerson Palieri and Raphael Toloi all played a part in the tournament. In 2016, Pepe was named the Man of the Match in the Final as Portugal beat France for the title. Spain won the Euro 2012 without a Brazilian born players, but Senna was their key player in 2008.
-- Senna, Deco and Pepe would also have contributed to Brazil if they never turned down Brazil. Deco probably would have limited chances playing for Brazil because Brazil had plenty of attacking midfielders during his prime. Pepe was around the same age as Dante, Thiago Silva and David Luiz. He would probably make it with Brazil even through those Brazilian defenders were very good. Of course, Brazil badly needed Diego Costa in 2014. The other candidates for Brazil's number 9 position were very weak in that period. Fred was injury prone at that point. As of 2021 when I edited this team, Jorginho probably would be a standout for the Seleção. He was voted the UEFA Player of the year in 2021.
-- Andreas Pereira is the first foreign-born player to play for Brazil in a 100 years. I did not know where to put this in a blog.
-- In 2003, Togo naturalised five Brazilians who played in the 2004 Nations Cup qualification games. None of whom were related to the country. Soon after, Qatar also tried to naturalise German-based trio of Ailton, Dede and Leandro. It was reported that Qatar offered Ailton one million dollars to play for them. FIFA quickly passed a new nationality to stop their progress. Players must have clear connection to a country for them to play for them.
-- Before I created this team, I thought this team would be better than a team with Argentine-born footballers who played for other national teams because it seemed that many more Brazilian footballers have played for other national teams. However, the "Argentine" team consisted of players such as Alfredo Di Stefano, Omar Sivori, Luis Monti, etc. The Italian "Oriundi" policy naturalised many Argentine star players before FIFA banned the switch of national allegiance. Meanwhile, Argentina did not select overseas players, which made it easier for Italy to naturalise the top Italian Argentine players.
--Anfilogino Guarisi helped Italy to win the World Cup in 1934. He was the first Brazilian to win the trophy. Jose Altafini "Mazzola" had won a World Cup with Brazil in 1958. Senna, Pepe and Jorginho won the European Championship for Spain, Portugal and Italy respectively.
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| Jose Altafini "Mazzola" |
-- This team had too many forwards. It lacked one more good central defender.
-- No Brazilian-born player ever capped for England and France. All other countries who had won the World Cup had capped at least one Brazilian-born player.
Goalkeepers
-- Guilherme Marinato of Russia was the only Brazilian-born goalkeepers I could find to have played international football regularly for a better football nation.
-- Mauricio Viana is an exceptional case. He remained an uncapped players at the senior level, but he sat on the bench for Chile. He also played at the youth level for Chile. But he is not cap-tied to Chile. I selected him because the other option at goalkeeper is Phan Van Santos who played for Vietnam.
-- In 2023, I discovered Alexander Negri. He was called up by Cyprus for a Euro 2016 qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 2015. He was also represented Brazil at the 2003 Gold Cup. He was a backup to Heurelho Gomes. The team was actually Brazil's Olympic team playing in a senior tournament as a guest team. Thiago Motta played on that team. I put him on the team in place of Danilo Clementino (Equatorial Guinea).
-- Danilo was a journeyman in Brazil, mainly in the lower division. He was one of the players recruited by Brazilian coach Antônio Dumasto to play for Equatorial Guinea in 2006. He had no ties with the country. He had not even played club football there. He had 19 caps with them.
Defenders
-- With 134 caps for Portugal, Pepe had done well for his adopted country. He was the Man of the Match as Portugal won the Euro 2016 trophy. For club football, he was well-decorated with Real Madrid. In his prime, Donato was one of the best defenders in La Liga and a key player for "Súper Dépor". Both Donato and Pepe would have made it to the Brazilian national team. Pepe was around the same age as Dante, Thiago Silva and David Luiz. He and Thiago Silva would have starred for Brazil. Perhaps, Brazil's exit in the 2014 World Cup Fimals would be different. Donato's prime would have played around the same time as Aldair, Carlos Mozer, Ricardo Gomez, Ricardo Rocha, Júlio César and Mauro Galvão. He would have contributed to Brazil, but his career would have been limited.
-- There are many attackers and midfielders eligible for the team, but there ain't many center-backs. Tony Menezes was also eligible, but he went to Canada for non-football reasons. Marcus Túlio Tanaka (Japan) was born in Brazil of Japanese ancestry. He moved to Japan as a teenager for non-football reason. So I excluded him. Cristiano Cordeiro (Hong Kong) was also considered as he was one of the few center-backs available. In 2021, Rafael Tolói was capped by Italy. I replaced Ernani Pereira (Azerbaijan) with him. My problem with centerbacks solved. Rafael Tolói along with Pepe, Donato and Mehmet Aurelio made a great corps of central defenders. He could also play rightback.
-- Mehmet Aurelio was actually a defensive midfielder, but I took him over Thiago Cionek (Poland). Cionek was mainly a Serie B player in Italy after he became "Polish". Mehmet Aurelio was a star with Fenerbahçe.
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| Mehmet Aurelio |
-- Bruno Alvas' father was a former Brazilian footballer, but he was born and grew up in Portugal. Zague (Mexico) played youth football in Brazil before going to Mexico, but Bruno Alvas' football journey started in Portugal. I ruled him ineligible for this team because he was not a naturalised citizen of Portugal.
-- Marcos Gonzalez (Chile) was born in Brazil of Chilean parents. He moved back to Chile as a 2 years old. So I excluded him. He is Chilean. He was a centerback. He was named in 2011 South American Team of the Year. He would have replaced Mehmet Aurelio on the team.
-- Matias Aguirregaray was born to Uruguayan parents in Brazil. His father was a former player named Oscar Aguirregaray who was playing in Brazil when Matias was born. Oscar was capped 10 times with Uruguay while Matias had 6 caps. I also ruled him out because he was an Uruguayan even through he was born in Brazil. He could play on both sides of the fullback position. This team actually lacked good fullbacks.
-- Douglas (Netherlands) was originally on this team. He never played for the Dutch, but he sat on the bench for at least one game. Originally, I have to select him since I could not find a rightback. I took him name off the team after I found Mario Fernandes (Russia). Mario Fernandes was awarded a Bola de Prata in 2011. He later represented Russia at the 2018 World Cup Finals. He scored the tying goal against Croatia, but missed his penalty shoot in the shootout on the same game. Romulo was on Italy's provisional World Cup team in 2014, but he was never capped by Italy. Liked Douglas, his eligibility was in question. The goalkeeper position was different because I did not have enough candidates. So I took two uncapped goalkeepers who made the national team bench. Both Douglas and Romulo were off this team. Pepe and Rafael Tolói also played rightback.
-- Aarón Wergifker was elected in 2011 as one of River Plate's "100 Greatest Idols". He was a leftback, a position I badly needed, but his "Brazilness" was being questioned. He was born in Brazil, but he was born there because his parents were on their way to Argentina from Russia. The family only stayed in Brazil for three months, after which they moved to the Argentine city of Buenos Aires. I ruled him ineligible because he never played football in Brazil and was in Argentina for non-football reasons.
-- Lúcio Wagner (Bulgaria) and Leandro (Hungary) were my leftbacks I first created the team. When I discovered Emerson Palmieri (Italy) in 2019, I replaced one of the leftbacks for him. I had no idea about either ones. So I dropped Leandro (Hungary) for no particular reason. In 2023, I decided to select José Clayton (Tunisia) instead. I actually heard of him before I did this research. He stood out as a Brazilian on a Middle Eastern national team while playing in the World Cup Finals. He at least had some World Cup experiences.
-- Before 2002, Lucio Wagner played for many clubs, including Benfica and Sevilla. He moved to Cherno More in Bulgaria in 2002. A year later, he joined Levski Sofia. They became the first Bulgarian side to reach group stage of Champions' League in 2006-2007. In 2006, Wagner was granted Bulgarian nationality, and made his debut for the national team on 9 May, in a Kirin Cup match against Japan.
-- Leftback Tiago Silva (Bulgaria)'s single cap in 2006 for Bulgaria was ruled ineligible by FIFA since he played for the youth team of Brazil. He was capped by Bulgaria before FIFA changed its rule in 2009.
Midfielders
-- From the deep position, I first took Senna and Thiago Motta. Both of whom were well-known in their prime. Mehmet Aurelio as mentioned was a defensive midfielder. All three played in big international tournaments. Senna was an important player as Spain won the 2008 European Championship.
-- Thiago Motta played for Brazil in the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The team was Brazil's Olympic team, but it was a full international tournament. Nevertheless, he was allowed to switch his allegiance to Italy in 2011. I did not know how it happened, but it did not matter for this blog. He played for Italy which was all that mattered here.
-- "Jorginho (Italy) will make the team one day. Sammir is likely to be dropped, " I wrote that when I created this blog team. In December, 2019, I dropped Sammir (Croatia) and added Jorginho to the team. Later, he would be the star of Azzurri as they won the 2020 European Championship in 2021. He was named the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award that year.
-- I made an exceptional case for Thiago Alcântara who was not born in Brazil. He is eligible because he is the son of Mazinho, which made Thiago Alcântara very Brazilian. Furthermore, he was born in Italy, not Spain. He lived briefly in Spain when he was growing up, but he spent part of his youth career with Flamengo, which made him a "Brazilian footballer in Brazil". He went to Spain in 2005 because Barcelona signed him as a footballer. He was in Spain for footballing reasons. Zague (Mexico)'s story is similar, but he was born in Mexico. He returned to Brazil and was playing youth football there before going back to Mexico for "football reasons".
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| Thiago Alcântara |
-- José Ufarte who was a legend with Atletico Madrid was born in Spain, but he grew up in Brazil where he started his career with Flamengo and Corinthians. But since he was a Spaniard born in Spain and was capped by Spain, I did not consider him eligible for this team.
-- I was surprised that Deco was the only playmaker of note who was eligible for this team, given that Brazil is a national known for their number 10s. I assumed that many playmakers were naturalised all over the world. Ruy Ramos received an honor mention because he was one of the greatest Japanese players of all-time.
-- In Brazil, Deco faced competition from Kaka, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Alex, Juninho Pernambucano, Juninho Paulista, etc in his prime. He was never called up. His performance in Barcelona would have easily made him a Brazilian international, but he already played for Portugal in 2003 when he was with Porto. His first international cap coincidentally was against Brazil on March, 2003. He scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory. This was Portugal's first win over Brazil since the 1966 World Cup Finals. Later that year, he helped Porto to win the UEFA Cup, which turned him into a major star in the world. His inclusion into Portugal national team caused a lot of opposition in Portugal. Luis Figo openly criticised the move as Portugal already had Rui Costa, but Rui Costa was 6 years older.
-- Jonathan dos Santos (Mexico) is different from Thiago. His father is a former Brazilian footballers playing in Mexico, but he decided to settle down in Mexico. So Jonathan dos Santos would have been living in Mexico if he chose not to become a footballer. He also has a Mexican mother.
Forwards
-- Jose Altafini was known as Mazzola in Brazil because of his likeness to the Italian legend Valentino Mazzola. When he moved to Italy, he used his real name and became known as Jose Altafini. He was actually a part of Brazil's World Cup winning team in 1958. He helped Milan to win the European Cup in 1963. Angelo Sormani played for Milan after Jose Altafini left. He also won an European Cup in 1969 with them as well. They would later join force in Napoli. They were a good team for the 1970-1971 season, but only finished third behind the two Milan teams.
-- Most players "turned" down representing Brazil because Brazil did not need him. Heading to the World Cup Finals in 2014, Brazil was in need of a better striker. Fred and Hulk were Brazil's main strikers at the time, and Diego Costa was a better player. He scored 36 goals in all competitions for Atletico Madrid, leading them to the Champions League final on the season before the World Cup Finals. He actually played for Brazil 6 months before he switched to Spain. He turned his back toward Brazil. Scolari commented on him, "A Brazilian player who refuses to wear the shirt of the Brazilian national team and compete in a World Cup in your country is automatically withdrawn. He is turning his back on a dream of millions, to represent our national team, the five-time champions in a World Cup in Brazil." He would play in the 2014 World Cup Finals, but his performance was average. Brazil selected Fred, Hulk and Jo in the same tournament.
-- Italy featured several South Americans on their 1934 World Cup winning team. Anfilogino Guarisi was the first Brazilian player to win the World Cup. Enrique Guaita on the other hand normally was listed as born in Argentina. He was one of the first Argentine-born to have won the World Cup in 1934 while playing for Italy alongside Luis Monti and Raimundo Orsi. However, some source claimed that he was born in Nogayå, Brazil, making him one of the first two Brazilian-born player to have won the World Cup. For this blog, I ruled him out because of unconfirmed information. Alejandro Demaría was also incorrectly listed as a World Cup winner. It was Attilio Demaría former of Argentina who played on the 1934 World Cup team. Alejandro Demaria only played for Italy B national team.
-- Marlos was a big star in FC Shakhtar Donetsk where he played with Eduardo da Silva at one point. Although he is a bigger star in Ukraine than Eduardo, Eduardo has a better overall career. So I selected him over Marlos.
-- Luis Oliveria was a top striker playing in Italy during the 1990's. He was known for being Gabriel Batistuta's striker partner in Fiorentina. Liedson was one of Sporting CP's greatest players in the more current history. With them, he won four major titles helping it to four Champions League participations.
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| Luis Oliveira |
Starting Lineup
Formation: 4-2-2-2
I edited the starting lineup during Euro 2020 in 2021.
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