Dear reader,
It’s a well-known fact that the Brazilian football team has won the most World Cup titles. The five-time champion was victorious in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002. Now, expectations are high for the Qatar World Cup.
Besides being recognized for its titles, the Brazilian football team is also known worldwide for its amazing players who had the honor to wear the unmistakable yellow jersey. Although not all of them won a World Cup title, they contributed to amazing matches and provided memorable moments in football.
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The Brazilian Report staff
Pelé
We cannot start our list without mentioning Pelé. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, is considered the King of Football with good reason. He was born in the small city of Três Corações, in the state of Minas Gerais. He came from a poor background and saw a career in football as a way to help his family. Even though his best performances were not on the Brazil national football team, Pelé made his World Cup debut at the age of just 17 and won the tournament three times.
Zico
Probably the most wronged player on this list, Zico was the major player of the 1982 World Cup. Born Arthur Antunes Coimbra, he started playing indoor soccer and soon caught the attention of Flamengo, one of the most famous football teams in Brazil. He played midfield alongside Cerezo, Sócrates, and Falcão. Most football fans consider this team as the best in the history, making everyone stop and pay attention to the game. Unfortunately, a defeat to Italy saw Brazil lose its chance to win its fourth World Cup title, which would come later.
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, popularly known as Ronaldo Fenômeno (The Phenomenon), is Brazil's top World Cup goalscorer. He had a poor childhood and could not even pay his bus tickets to play for Flamengo, one of the most famous football teams in Brazil. Many supporters blame Ronaldo’s injury in the final of the 1998 World Cup as the reason for Brazil’s defeat against France. But four years later, he redeemed himself with Brazil’s football team supporters when he scored twice in the final against Germany.
Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior holds the position of Brazil’s main football player in activity. Before he began his career with Santos FC and sustained his family, Neymar lived with his parents in a room of his grandmother's house, in São Vicente, located on Brazil’s coast. After more than 11 years of success in Santos, Neymar was one of the major players in FC Barcelona during his years in Spain, and is now Paris Saint Germain’s number 10. For the Brazilian football team, Neymar won Copa América, Olympic Games, and the Confederations Cup. Will he be able to lead Brazil’s national team to its sixth World Cup title?