This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams. This blog was one of them. It was my Russia All-Time Team here. His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014. His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017. His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014. He also copied many many of my blog entries.
Brazil is the best footballing nation in the world. They won 5 World Cup titles in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. In addition, they have great teams at the World Cup in 1950, 1982 and 1998. They never failed to appear in a World Cup Finals.
Brazilians also produced a large numbers of footballers throughout history. It is probably true that most leagues around the world must have a single Brazilian footballers. Their talent levels are very high. This is my ranking of the Top 50 players from Brazil and followed by two lists of the next 300 greatest Brazilian players.. I actually do not believe in ranking of individual players. I tried many times to do a ranking on various topics, but I changed my mind each time I edited the list. The topic is subjective. I can never ever create a conclusive ranking. Thus, I am only ranking the top 50 players for the sake of ranking. This list does not really mean or reflect much. Then, I divided the rest of the 300 players into two different tiers or clusters. Even that is very hard to do an incontestable list. For example, Zito (43rd) can easily make it to the top 25 or even fall out of the top 50. Brazil or most nationals can produce so many footballers with similar preeminence that the task of a ranking is impossible.
Cafu is the all-time cap record holder for Brazil with 142. He is the only man to play in three World Cup Finals, winning in 1994 and 2002. He was the captain of the national team as they won the World Cup in 2002. With Brazil, he also took part in four editions of the Copa América, winning the title twice, in 1997 and 1999. He played with Sao Paulo, Real Zaragoza, Juventude, Roma, Palmeiras and AC Milan. He was South American Player of the Year in 1994.
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| Cafu |
During his career (1951–1967), Julinho played for Portuguesa, Fluminense and Palmeiras. His greatest spell was with Fiorentina. He was nominated as the best player in the history of Fiorentina in 1996. He was one of the greatest wingers in Serie A history. He had 24 caps for Brazil. He was one of the best player at the World Cup Finals in 1954. He turned down a chance to play in the 1958 World Cup Finals in Sweden, giving the way for Garrincha to shine.
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| Julinho |
Jairzinho had 81 caps from Brazil. "The Hurricane" was a star at the 1970 World Cup Finals, where Brazil won. He was one of two players who had scored at every single game of a given World Cup Finals. He also went to the 1974 World Cup Finals in West Germany. For his club career, he played for the famous Botafago team of the 1960's. He was an understudy to Garrincha. He also played in France with Marseille.
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| Jairzinho |
The "Tiger" was the first Afro-Brazilian professional players in Brazil. He was also one of the first star players from Brazil. He played 22 times for Brazil, including wins in the 1919 and 1922 editions of the Copa América, scoring ten goals. He did not attend the first World Cup Finals in 1930 because only players from Rio traveled to Uruguay. He was a son of a German immigrant father and an African Brazilian mother.  |
| Arthur Friedenreich |
21st: Gerson Gerson was the central midfielder for Brazil in the 1970 World Cup Finals. He held 70 caps for Brazil. He is considered one of Brazil's best ever passers. He played on the legendary Botafogo's team of in the 1960's with Garrincha. While at the club, he played with Didi and became his understudy, in which he would inherit the position on the Seleção. He also played and won numerous national trophies with the club sides of Flamengo, São Paulo and Fluminense.
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Gerson
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Carlos Alberto was one of the greatest fullback ever played the game. He was the captain of the 1970 World Cup winning team in Mexico. His goal in the 1970 Final against Italy was considered one of the greatest goals in the history of the tournament. He missed the World Cup Finals in 1974 through an injury. He played with Pele both at Santos and NY Cosmos. He had 53 caps for Brazil. He played for Fluminense and Flamengo. |
| Carlos Alberto |
19th: Roberto Carlos Roberto Carlos was regarded one of the best leftbacks in history. He had 125 caps for Brazil playing in three World Cup Finals (1998, 2002 and 2006). He won 3 Champions League titles with Real Madrid and one World Cup title with Brazil in 2002. In 1997 he was runner-up in the FIFA World Player of the Year. He is especially famous for a free kick from 35m out against France in the Tournoi de France 1997. The goal is considered one of the greatest goals ever scored. |
| Roberto Carlos |
Neymar was known as the greatest player ever produced by Santos since Robinho. He moved to Barcelona FC in 2013, where Barcelona FC and his family were founded to have involved under the table money. In 2017, he again moved to PSG after the French club paid for his release clause and became the most expensive transfer ever. For Brazil, he played at the WC Finals in 2014, but missed the 7-1 defeat in the semi-final. |
| Neymar |
Kaka started his career with Sao Paulo in Brazil before moving to AC Milan in 2003. He was the star player who helped Milan to win the Champions' League in 2007, also winning the Ballon d'or the same year. In 2009, he left Milan for Real Madrid. He later played in the MLS with Orlando. For Brazil, he was capped 92 times. He was a young and seldom used player at the WC in 2002. He was a key player after the World Cup Finals in 2002. |
| Kaka |
16th: Nilton Santos Nilton Santos had 75 caps for Brazil. He went to the World Cup Finals in 1950, but did not play a single game. He won the World Cup in 1958 and 1962 with Pele and Garrincha. He is widely considered to be a pioneer in the offensive wingback position and was one of the greatest in his position. He spent his entire career with Botafogo during one of the club's greatest period. He was unrelated to his frequent defensive partner Djalma Santos.  |
| Nilton Santos |
15th: Djalma Santos
Djalma Santos aka "DJ Santos" was considered the best right back in the football history. He played 98 times for Brail. He is one of only three players to be included into three World Cup All Star teams. He also went to the World Cup in 1966. He started his career with Portuguesa. In 1959, he moved to Palmeiras. He played almost 500 games for the club, winning several league and cup titles. Rivelino is considered to be one of the greatest left-sided midfielder ever. His signature move was the "flip-flap". He was a member of Brazil's great 1970 team and also played in the 1974 team. He had 92 caps for Brazil. He started his career with Corinthians, but in one of the club's worst period in history. He moved to Fluminense in 1974, forming a great team with Carlos Alberto. He also played for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. |
| Rivelino |
Rivaldo played 74 times for Brazil. He was a part of the attacking trio known as "Three R's" with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho at the 2002 World Cup Finals. He scored 5 goals in 5 games as Brazil took its 5th World Cup. He also went to the World Cup Finals in 1998. For his club career, he started with Santa Cruz in Brazil. He played for many clubs, but was known for his career with Barcelona in Spain. He won the 1999 Ballon d' Or.
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| Rivaldo |
Domingos da Guia was a star defender during the 1940's and considered to be Brazil's greatest defender. He was among the first skilled defender to play the game. He played for several clubs, but notably with Flamengo and Corinthians, and aboard with Boca Juniors. He had 30 caps for the Brazilian national team. He was a star at the 1938 World Cup Finals in France. He made the all-star team at that World cup Finals. His son is Ademir da Guia.
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| Domingos Da Guia |
11th: SocratesSocrates earned over 60 caps between 1979 and 1986. He was the captain of 1982 and 1986 team. One of the best attack midfielders in Brazil's history. In 1983, he was named South American Footballer of the Year. He spent 7 seasons with Corinthians. He went abroad in 1984, playing a season in Serie A with Fiorentina. He was also a MD, earning the degree while he was an active player. |
| Socrates |
10th: FalcaoAt one point, Falcao was the world's highest paid footballer. He played with Internacional at home before becoming the star of Roma in the 1980's, winning the Serie A in 1982-83. In 1985, he returned home and played for Sao Paulo. For the national team, he was a key player for the fantastic Brazilian side at 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain. He won the Silver Ball in Spain. He also went to the World Cup Finals in 1986. |
| Falcao |
From 1999 to 2013, Ronaldinho played 97 times for Brazil. He was a member of the "Three R's" with Rivaldo and Ronaldo that helped Brazil winning the World Cup in 2002. At the club level, he started his career with Gemio before moving to Europe. He played with Paris St Germaine and Barcelona before his form started to drop. He formed the REM line with Etoo and Messi before fighting among them destroyed the team. In 2013, he won the Copa Libertadores with Atlético Mineiro.
Leônidas da Silva was known as "Black Diamond" and considered the greatest Brazilian footballer before the war. He was credited to be the inventor of "Bicycle Kick". He played in two World Cup Finals: 1934 and 1938. He was the top scorer at the tournament in 1938. He played for a number of clubs in Brazil and Penarol. His longest spells were with Vasco Da Gama and Sao Paulo. |
| Leônidas da Silva |
Romario helped the Seleção to win the 1994 FIFA World Cup, receiving the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year the same year. He missed the 1998 World Cup Finals because of an injury. He also went to the World Cup in 1990. He was one of very few strikers to surpass the mark of 1,000 goals. He was best remembered for his stint with Barcelona. He also played for PSV and many other clubs in Brazil.
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| Romario |
6th: Didi
Didi is considered one of the greatest players ever from Brazil. He was capped 68 times for Brazil between 1952 to 1962. He was voted the best player in the 1958 World Cup Finals. He was also on the 1954 and 1962 team. He joined Real Madrid in the 1950's, but returned after less than a year because of a personal feud with Alfredo di Stefano. He also played with Garrincha at Botafogo, a team considered among the best ever club side in Brazil.  |
| Didi |
5th: Zizinho
Zizinho was Pele's idol. He was considered the greatest Brazilian player before the 1960's. He was the star of the ill-fated World Cup Finals in 1950 playing alongside Jair and Ademir. He played for Flamengo, Bangu, São Paulo FC, Audax Italiano of Chile among others teams. With Flamengo, he won state championships in 1942, 1943 and 1944. He turned down a chance to play in the 1958 World Cup Finals.
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| Zizinho |
4th: Garrincha
Garrincha is considered one of the greatest footballers and perhaps the greatest dribbler in history. He inspired Brazil to win the World Cup in 1962, which widely considered the best individual effect in World Cup history. He was the Player of the Tournament that year. He also played in 1958 and 1966. Brazil never lost a single match with Pele and Garrincha on their lineup. At the club level, he was a member of the great Botafogo's team in the 1960's.
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| Garrincha |
3rd: Ronaldo
Ronaldo was widely considered among the greatest ever to have play the game. He led Brazil to two WC Finals matches, winning the one in 2002. He scored 8 goals in 2002. He was the winner of Ballon d'Or twice and the FIFA World Player of the Year three times. He is the second top-scorer in WC history. He played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, and for both AC Milan and Inter Milan. His moves to Spain and Italy made him only the second player, after Diego Maradona, to break the world transfer record twice, all before his 21st birthday.
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| Ronaldo |
2nd: Zico Zico was the best player in the world during the early 1980's. He came eighth in the FIFA Player of the Century grand jury vote. He went to three World Cup Finals, but probably best remembered for the 1982 tournament, where Brazl was considered the best side that never won World Cup. He had over 70 caps for Brazil. He won the Intercontinental Cup in 1981 with Flamengo, a team that was considered among the greatest ever. He later played with Udinese for 2 seasons. |
| Zico |
1st PelePele is considered the greatest player ever in the history of the game. He won his first World Cup in 1958 as a 17 years old in Sweden. He would win his second one in 1962, but he was injured throughout the tournament. In 1970, he won his third and final World Cup, with a team that was considered the greatest ever. He played almost his entire career with Santos, one of the greatest club side in history. He unretired to join New York Cosmos in 1976, where he played with Franz Beckenbauer. |
| Pele |
Explanation
-- I believe any ranking of this nature can be conclusive. I am opened to any interpretation.
-- Pele is the obvious choice for number one.
-- The position of Zico, Ronaldo and Garrincha should be interchangeable. At this moment, I ranked Zico ahead of Ronaldo because of his peak at the top was much longer than Ronaldo. Garrincha's dribbling skills were among the greatest of all-time, but his skill sets might not as effective in the modern world. His dominance was also overshadowed by Pele. Pele and Garrincha never lost a game when they played on the same field.
-- The performance of Ronaldo in the 1996-1997 season was extraordinary, but his career was derailed by his injuries. So I selected Zico over him. Sometimes, I do consider Ronaldo as a better player than Zico.
-- Even if Zizinho won the World Cup, he probably could get ahead of the five above. I do feel Didi's ranking is very close behind.
-- Didi was the best player as Brazil won their first ever World Cup.
-- Romario won a World Cup for Brazil. I always thought that he was underappreciated by the fans. But at 7th, he was about right.
-- Ronaldinho was considered the best player in the world at one point in a generation that included Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, etc. So he is ahead of Rivaldo, Falcao and Socrates. I am opened to rank him higher than Leônidas da Silva or Romario. He might be underrated here.
-- I also ranked Falcao side by side with Socrates. Falcao was the best performer at the 1982 World Cup Finals, which gave him one spot higher than Socrates.
-- Kaka at one point in the 2006-2007 season was the best player in the world. Neymar, I felt, was overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He was never considered number one in the world at any point. The peak of Kaka's career with AC Milan was better than Neymar. He was the best team in a very good Milan team. However, Neymar is still an active player. He can rise up to the top 10 if he does more.
-- Nilton Santos was unrelated to Djalma Santos. The two fullback should be ranked side by side. DJ Santos was on three different World Cup all-star teams which gave him the edge over Nilton Santos.
-- Domingos Da Guia not only was considered Brazil's greatest ever defender. He was the first skilled player to play in the defence. He is the highest ranked defender on this list. His son Ademir Da Guia is ranked 38th.
-- Roberto Carlos seemed to be a much more dominating fullback than Carlos Alberto. He is ahead of Carlos Alberto.
-- I placed Carlos Alberto ahead of his teammate Gerson. I awarded him a position higher because he was the captain of the 1970 World Cup team. Jairzhinho is slightly behind them.
-- Arthur Friedenreich belonged to an era when Brazilian football was not the best in the world. So I put him in a lower position than some of the other rankings, but his contribution to Brazilian football could not be ignored. I might have ranked him too low.
-- Julinho would have been higher if he went to the 1958 World Cup Finals. He was largely a forgotten player in history. I have written about her here.
-- No goalkeeper is on the top 25. For Brazil, it is not surprising at all.
-- My ranking actually goes beyond 50 players. I have compiled a list of 350 great players from Brazil.
