Brazil men's national football team

Few teams in any sport carry the weight of expectation like the Brazil men's national football team. Known as the Seleção, and nicknamed Canarinho for their bright yellow jerseys, they are the only nation to have won the FIFA World Cup five times: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002. No other country has played in every single World Cup without needing playoffs, and Brazil is the only team to win the tournament on four different continents. Their total of 76 victories in 114 World Cup matches, with a goal difference of plus 129, is unmatched.

The team is run by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), which joined FIFA in 1923 and was a founding member of South America's CONMEBOL in 1916. Over the decades, Brazil has produced a staggering number of legendary players, from Pelé and Garrincha to Zico, Romário, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Neymar. The 1970 squad, led by Pelé, is widely considered the greatest national team in history. Other golden eras include the 1958-62 teams and the 1994-2002 period, when Brazil reached three straight World Cup finals, winning two.

Brazil also dominated the now-defunct FIFA Confederations Cup, winning four times (1997, 2005, 2009, 2013). They hold the record for most FIFA Team of the Year rankings, with 13 top finishes. In 1996, the team went undefeated for 35 consecutive matches, a world record that stood for 25 years. Their fiercest rivalries are with Argentina, Italy, and Uruguay. Brazil also boasts the highest average Elo football rating ever, and the fourth-highest peak Elo rating.[edit]

The Brazil national team played its first official match in 1914 against Exeter City, a friendly in Rio de Janeiro. The CBF was founded the same year, and the team joined CONMEBOL in 1916. Brazil hosted the 1950 World Cup, the first after World War II, and reached the final match against Uruguay at the Maracanã. A draw would have given Brazil the title, but Uruguay won 2-1 in what became known as the Maracanazo, a national trauma that took eight years to overcome.

Under the guidance of coach Vicente Feola, Brazil won its first World Cup in 1958 in Sweden, with a 17-year-old Pelé emerging as a global star. The team successfully defended the title in 1962 in Chile, despite Pelé being injured early in the tournament. Garrincha stepped up to lead the side. The 1970 team in Mexico, featuring Pelé, Jairzinho, Rivelino, and Tostão, is often called the greatest team ever, winning all six matches and scoring 19 goals.

After a 24-year drought, Brazil returned to glory in 1994 in the United States, winning a tense final against Italy on penalties. Romário was the star. In 2002, under Luiz Felipe Scolari, Brazil won its fifth title in Japan and South Korea, with Ronaldo scoring twice in the final against Germany. Since then, Brazil has reached the semi-finals in 2014 (as hosts, losing 7-1 to Germany) and the quarter-finals in 2018 and 2022. The team continues to be a perennial contender.[edit]