Five-star Brazilian team in the history of the stars, no country can compare with the football kingdom, such as Dunga, Cafu, Socrates and other stars, placed in any national team, can be ranked in the top 10 in the history of the team, but not in Brazil.
Take stock of the top stars in Brazilian football today.
X. Zico
Zico, known as "White Bailey", was a legendary Brazilian superstar in the eighties. In 1996 and 1977, he was named Brazil's best player and top scorer. He played for Flamengo for 16 years, playing 650 games and scoring 630 goals. He won the Brazilian national championship for the team in 1980, and the following year the Copa Libertadores and the Toyota Cup.
Zico was named the best athlete in the Americas three times in 1977, 1981 and 1982, and in 1983 he was named the best athlete in the world by the British magazine Football World. The 12th FIFA World Cup was selected as the best team in the world. He joined Italian side Udinese in 1982. In 1985 he returned to Flamengo Football Club. He officially retired on March 28, 1989.
He led Brazil to three World Cups in 1978, 1982 and 1986, but unfortunately despite being known as the world's strongest team in the eighties and being the favourites for each World Cup, it did not win a single World Cup. Zico's experience is very similar to that of Neymar now.
IX. Neymar
Neymar came through the Santos Academy. In 2009, Neymar was promoted to Santos' first team. After being named South American Footballer of the Year twice, Neymar moved to Barca in the summer of 2013. In the 2014-15 season, Neymar helped Barca crown "treble", winning the Champions League Golden Boot and the Copa del Rey Golden Boot. In August 2017, Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain for a football-breaking transfer fee of €222 million and was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year in his first season. In 2019-20, Neymar helped Paris Saint-Germain reach their first Champions League final.
In 2010, Neymar was selected for the Brazilian national team for the first time. In the summer of 2013, Neymar won the Confederations Cup with Brazil. In 2014, Neymar played with Brazil at the World Cup in Brazil and won the Bronze Boot Award. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Neymar helped Brazil win its first men's gold medal
Neymar's unique way of playing is pleasing to the eye, and arguably the closest player to football genie Ronaldinho in terms of his skills. As a traditional South American player, Neymar retains the last DNA of samba football. The moves that Brazil's predecessors are most proud of are reflected in Neymar. Bulltail, cycling, rainbow passing, these familiar moves Neymar are all proficient in.
The last samba dancer! The South American style ended, and there was no single king after Neymar. Among the current players, the only outlier is the so-called true South American style player left Neymar alone, because this very personal style of play of samba football has gradually become unacceptable to the mainstream. As the last samba dancer, Neymar's future football is completely European.
Neymar has scored a total of 77 goals for Brazil, tied for the first place in Brazilian history with Pele the king. Unfortunately, such a powerful Neymar has not brought any heavyweight trophy to the Brazilian team. Born in the Mero era, Neymar was recognized as the third in the world for a long time, and he has not won a Ballon d'Or or World Footballer of the Year award so far.
VIII. Bebeto
Bebeto, born José Roberto Gama de Oliveira, was born on February 16, 1964. In 1983, at the age of 19, Bebeto began his football career in Victoria, Brazil, the same year, and in the same year, Bebeto was selected for the Brazilian national youth team to participate in the World Youth Championship in Mexico. At that World Youth Championship, Brazil won the final title. Although Bebeto only came off the bench for less than 10 minutes in the final, due to his great potential on the field, he was named the "Six Stars of Hope" by the FIFA Technical and Statistics Committee of the World Youth Championship along with Basten and Protasov.
In 1996, Bebeto returned to Brazil to join Flamengo and has been adrift ever since. In 1997, Bebeto played for Sevilla in Spain, Cruzeiro in Brazil and Victoria in Brazil. Later in his career, Bebeto also played for Botafogo in Brazil, Torosnesa in Mexico, and Kashima Antlers in Japan before retiring in 2002 after a brief gold rush to Ittihad, Saudi Arabia.
Bebeto's influence in Brazilian football is certainly not as great as that of Neymar and Zico, but his "golden partner" with Romario helped Brazil win the 1994 World Cup. He scored three goals and two assists, making him the second biggest contributor after Romario. In addition, the forward line of Bebeto and Ronaldo almost defended the World Cup in France.
7. Kaka
Kaka (born 22 April 1982) is an attacking midfielder. Kaka has a handsome face, and what is even more rare is that his skills are as good as his face! Kaka has balanced feet, a wide field of vision, and exceptional speed and physical fitness. Kaka joined the São Paulo football club team at the age of 8 and helped the São Paulo youth team win the São Paulo State Cup at the age of 15. On 7 March 2001 , Kaka made his first-team debut for São Paulo as a substitute in the second leg of the final of the Continental Championship in São Paulo , Brazil , scoring two goals to help his team win the title 2–1. In the 2001 season, Kaka was named the 2001 Brazilian League Player of the Year and the 2001 South American Rookie of the Year. In 2002, when he was not yet 20 years old, Kaka was called up by the national team and participated in the World Cup in Korea and Japan with the Brazilian national team.
In the summer of 2003, Leonardo Nasimondo, a former Milan meritorious player who would become Milan and Inter coach at the time and Brazil's chief scout, brought a handsome young man from São Paulo and chose the number 22 shirt after joining Milan. Milan paid only 8.5 million euros!
When he first arrived in the Apennine Peninsula, this young man played well and firmly occupied Milan's main position, and he squeezed down two legendary superstars - Rivaldo and Rui Costa. The younger and faster Kaka was on the pitch and accelerated AC Milan's attacking tempo, especially his extremely effective long-distance running, excellent passing skills and ability to read the game! On 5 October 2003 , in the fifth round of the Serie A Milan derby , Kaka scored Milan's first goal to help the team beat Inter. In his first season at Milan, Kaka made 30 appearances and scored 10 goals to help the team lift the Serie A trophy! In the 2004-2005 season, Kaka made 36 Serie A appearances, scoring 7 goals and assisting 8 times: 13 Champions League appearances, scoring 2 goals and helping the team reach the Champions League final! In the final, Milan led by 3 goals in the first half, and was dragged into extra time by Liverpool with three goals in a row in the second half, and finally lost to Liverpool on penalties and missed out on the Champions League trophy!
On 9 April 2006 , Kaka scored his first "hat-trick" in the 33rd round of Serie A against Chievo. In the 2005–2006 season, Kaka made 35 appearances in Serie A, scoring 14 goals and was named the league's best foreign player. In the 06/07 season, it belonged to Kaka, and the Champions League became his personal performance stage, completing his first Champions League "hat-trick" in the group stage; Knockout against the Celtics; The semi-finals beat United's entire defence at Old Trafford; In the final, Milan successfully avenged Liverpool and won the 7th Big Ear Cup in the team's history! In the Champions League, Kaka scored 10 goals and lifted the golden boot.
In Serie A, Kaka was named the best player and the best foreign aid. At the end of 2007, Kaka led the team to win the Club World Cup! At this time, Kaka was a banner for Milan, and Kaka was the prince of Milan in that golden period!
Kaka's peak was dedicated to the club and did not leave too many traces in the history of the Brazilian team. In 2007, Kaka helped AC Milan win the Champions League, and he himself won the Ballon d'Or and World Footballer of the Year. After moving to Real Madrid in 2009, Kaka's career began to decline.
VI. Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (born April 19, 1972 in Recife, Brazil) is a Brazilian/Spanish dual citizen and former Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward/striker.
Rivaldo began his career in 1989 with Santa Cruz FC and has since played for Palmeiras, A Coruña, Barcelona, AC Milan and Olympiacos. Rivaldo won many accolades as a player, including the UEFA Champions League title and the top league championship of four countries. In 1999, Rivaldo won two individual honours, the European Ballon d'Or and the World Footballer of the Year. In March 2014, Rivaldo announced his retirement. In June 2015, Rivaldo announced his comeback as president and player of Morzymirin FC. In August of the same year, Rivaldo announced his retirement again.
He won't be the favourite player in football – just ask Louis van Gaal or anyone in Turkey – but at one point Rivaldo was the best player in the world. From the greatest hat-trick of all time to World Cup honors, from the pinnacle of his career in '02 to the long farewell, "442" pays tribute to the former superstar with a feature-length feature.
The "3R" combination of Rivaldo, Da Luo and Xiao Luo swept the World Cup in Korea and Japan, and eventually won the championship. This was Rivaldo's most glorious moment in the national team, and many people still believe that the biggest role in that World Cup was actually Rivaldo, not Ronaldo, who is the real core of Brazil. In the club, Rivaldo also showed the value of a superstar, winning the Ballon d'Or and World Footballer of the Year in 1999, and leading Barca to the Champions League in 2003.
V. Romario
Romário de Souza Faria (born 29 January 1966 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a former Brazilian professional footballer who played as a striker.
Romario played for Vasco da Gama, PSV Eindhoven, Barca, Flamengo, Valencia, Fluminense, THAAD, Miami FC and Adelaide United, winning La Liga, Eredivisie, Baja Liga, Dutch Cup and other competitions. In addition, Romario made 70 appearances for the Brazilian national team, scoring 55 goals, helping Samba win the 1994 World Cup, the 1989 and 1997 Copa America, and the 1997 Confederations Cup.
As the core of the Brazilian team, leading the team to the World Cup title, Romario alone is enough to occupy a place among the star-studded Brazilian historical superstars. In 1994, Romario was also named World Footballer of the Year, but he did not win the Ballon d'Or, because after 1995, the conditions for the Ballon d'Or were relaxed to all players who played in the European league, and previously only for Europeans.
Romario's front threat, personal skills, and opportunities should be the same as Messi, Maradona, although more domineering than Messi, but flexible and ornamental is still not comparable to Messi and Ronaldo Jr., if it comes to leadership, driving power, dominance on the pitch at the level of the king of the ball, whether it is Messi, Romario or not, are far from Maradona, and this is precisely the gap between the king and the star. The lone wolf represented PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League against Milan, facing Baresi's close defense, the front post stopped with his thigh for a corner kick, and then turned around and volleyed from a small angle to break the goal, the technical use of the narrow space is too solid, no wonder Kesheng said that he was the first in the world within one square meter.
Romario was born in the wrong era, and if he was in the same era as Messi, he would have scored a lot of goals. He had a problem with Messi, he ran too little, and in that era of defensive harshness, many teams would have a headache. Now in football, there are strong enemies in front, and pursuers in the back, single-handedly penetrating deep into the enemy's hinterland, like entering a no-man's land, taking the first rank of the general like a striker who probes for things, too few!
IV. Ronaldinho
For many, Ronaldinho is one of the greatest players of the 21st century and football history, the ceiling of football talent. With his extraordinary talent, he led Barça to create the glory of the second phase of the dream. Even Maradona, the football king, said that if he were to choose the "strongest player" from Barca in the new century, he would choose Ronaldo instead of Messi.
On the pitch, Xiao Luo is a real wanderer, he acts casually, like a poet of idle clouds and wild cranes, raising the art of football to the ceiling level. From the South American continent to France, from Catalonia to Milan, he never cared about the number of goals scored, he only believed in his football philosophy - happy football, he only indulged in the art at his feet.
Xiao Luo at his peak is a collection of all football aesthetics, and all the enjoyment that can be brought by a single person on the football field, he is the top. Only you can't think of it, and you can't do it without him. He can pick up ghosts among thousands of troops, and he can also wear Yang in a hundred steps in samba dance steps; He can shoot lightly and slowly, or he can violently slam the door. He can drip like Zidane, score goals like Da Luo, break through like Figo and take free kicks like Bey. It can be said that he can do everything on the football field and no one can stop him!
Two-time World Footballer of the Year and one-time Ballon d'Or winner, when he participated in the World Cup in Germany, Xiao Luo had become the first person in world football. Unfortunately, the Brazilian team stopped in the 1/4 final, and Xiao Luo did not even score a goal. However, the World Cup champions in South Korea and Japan, coupled with the core of the Barcelona Dream II dynasty, are enough to put Xiao Luo in the top five of Brazil's history.
III. Garincha
Garrincha (October 28, 1933 – January 20, 1983), full name Manuel Francisco dos Santos, nicknamed Garrincha (Garrincha in Portuguese, translated as Garrincha), or "Little Bird", is a famous Brazilian footballer, who played as a winger and represented Brazil in three World Cups. He won two championships in 1958 and 1962 and is considered Brazil's greatest player on a par with Pele.
On January 20, 1983, Garincha, who suffered from illness due to alcoholism, died suddenly at the age of 49. To commemorate his great achievements, the Brazilian government renamed the home stadium of the 2014 World Cup Opening Ceremony in Brazil to Garincha Stadium.
Garrincha, 1.69 meters tall, is the most outstanding dribbling star in football history, known as the "dribbling devil". But the strongest dribbler in football has deformed legs and his right leg is 6 centimeters shorter than his left. He's a disabled person, it's incredible! The hero of the 1962 World Cup, indiscriminate, alcoholic, never participated in systematic training, known as the "most unprofessional professional player", playing football basically by talent. Most Brazilians believe that Garrincha is far better than Pele in terms of talent alone.
A football superstar of Pele's generation, he was instrumental in Brazil's victory for the 1958 and 1962 World Cups. In fact, in the second game of the 1962 World Cup, Pele withdrew due to injury, after which Garrincha carried Brazil to the end. At that time, Garrincha was the quasi-king of the ball with the same name as the ball king Bailey. Unfortunately, the quasi-king was very undisciplined and left this world at the age of 49.
2. Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima (born 18 September 1976 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a former Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker and is currently the owner of Valladolid FC and Cruzeiro FC.
Ronaldo began his European football career with PSV Eindhoven and has since played for four major teams Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, winning a La Liga trophy, a UEFA Cup, a European Cup Winners' Cup, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup trophy.
3 World Footballer of the Year, 2 times Ballon d'Or, 2 World Cup trophys, 1 World Cup runner-up, Da Luo is the Brazilian football superstar in the history of Brazilian football, second only to the king Pele. Even if you look at the history of world football, Da Luo should be in the top 5.
Ronaldo has shown football talent since he was a child. He started playing football at the age of 7 and quickly excelled. In 1993, he began playing for Brazil's Cruzeiro club and performed well and quickly attracted the attention of international football.
At the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Ronaldo played for Brazil and scored four goals in the tournament to help Brazil win the World Cup. His performances caught the attention of European giants, and in 1996 he joined Dutch club Ajax.
During his time at Ajax, Ronaldo was outstanding, winning the European Ballon d'Or in 1997 and helping the team win the Europa League. In 1998, he moved to Inter Milan in Italy. During his time at Inter, he helped the team win several honours, including Serie A and the Euroleague.
In 2002, Ronaldo played again for Brazil in the World Cup and scored eight goals in the tournament to help Brazil win the World Cup again. He also became one of the most goalscored players in World Cup history.
After the 2002 World Cup, Ronaldo moved to Spain's Madrid FC. During his time at Real Madrid, he continued to excel and helped the team win several honours, including La Liga and Europa League.
Ronaldo announced his retirement in 2007 and has won two World Cups, one Europa League and two European Ballon d'Or during his career. He is also known as one of the great players in the history of football.
First, the king of the ball, Pele
Pelé (born 23 October 1940 in the Brazilian town of Tres Corassos) is a former Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker/attacking striker. He played 1,366 games and scored 1,283 goals in his career, a figure that was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.
At the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, in the quarter-final between Brazil and Wales, Pele scored the winning goal for the team. On that day, he was only 17 years, 7 months and 27 days, making him the youngest goalscorer in World Cup history. And that tournament, Brazil also won the championship. In his first World Cup trip, Pele scored six goals in four games, all of them in the knockout rounds, becoming the "first man" to become a well-deserved "first man" to become famous in a match.
The three World Cup winners in 1958, 1962 and 1970 were all taken into the arms of the Samba Army. And Pele became the only player in football history to win the World Cup three times, a record that has not been surpassed by posterity.
In 1977, Pele officially announced his retirement, but he did not leave football. After that, he was elected Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and officially awarded the title of "King of Ball" by FIFA. He also served as Brazil's Minister of Sports and Brazil's World Cup Ambassador. The legendary career has also been filmed as a film for future generations to remember.
On December 29, 2022, Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, announced that Brazil's well-known athlete and "ball king" Bailey died of multiple organ failure caused by colon cancer at the age of 82.
Pele has always been with football throughout his life. In the eyes of many, he is "God's gift from football".