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Brazil national football team facts for kids

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Brazil
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Seleção (The National Team)
Canarinho (Little Canary)
Amarelinha (Little Yellow)
Verde-Amarela (Green-Yellow)
Association Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF)
Confederation CONMEBOL (South America)
Head coach Vacant
Captain Thiago Silva
Most caps Cafu (142)
Top scorer Pelé (77)
Neymar (77)
Home stadium Various
FIFA code BRA
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 3 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 1 (159 times on 8 occasions)
Lowest 22 (6 June 2013)
Elo ranking
Current 1 Steady (3 March 2019)
Highest 1 (8,640 days on 40 occasions)
Lowest 20 (7 November 2001)
First international
 Argentina 3–0 Brazil 
(Buenos Aires, Argentina; 20 September 1914)
Biggest win
 Brazil 10–1 Bolivia 
(São Paulo, Brazil; 10 April 1949)
 Brazil 9–0 Colombia 
(Lima, Peru; 24 March 1957)
Biggest defeat
 Uruguay 6−0 Brazil 
(Viña del Mar, Chile; 18 September 1920)
 Brazil 1–7 Germany 
(Belo Horizonte, Brazil; 8 July 2014)
World Cup
Appearances 22 (first in 1930)
Best result Champions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
Copa América
Appearances 37 (first in 1916)
Best result Champions (1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2019)
Panamerican Championship
Appearances 3 (first in 1952)
Best result Champions (1952, 1956)
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Appearances 3 (first in 1996)
Best result Runners-up (1996, 2003)
Confederations Cup
Appearances 7 (first in 1997)
Best result Champions (1997, 2005, 2009, 2013)
Medal record
FIFA World Cup
Gold 1958 Sweden Team
Gold 1962 Chile Team
Gold 1970 Mexico Team
Gold 1994 United States Team
Gold 2002 Korea & Japan Team
Silver 1950 Brazil Team
Silver 1998 France Team
Bronze 1938 France Team
Bronze 1978 Argentina Team
Copa América
Gold 1919 Brazil Team
Gold 1922 Brazil Team
Gold 1949 Brazil Team
Gold 1989 Brazil Team
Gold 1997 Bolivia Team
Gold 1999 Paraguay Team
Gold 2004 Peru Team
Gold 2007 Venezuela Team
Gold 2019 Brazil Team
Silver 1921 Argentina Team
Silver 1925 Argentina Team
Silver 1937 Argentina Team
Silver 1945 Chile Team
Silver 1946 Argentina Team
Silver 1953 Peru Team
Silver 1957 Peru Team
Silver 1959 Argentina Team
Silver 1983 South America Team
Silver 1991 Chile Team
Silver 1995 Uruguay Team
Silver 2021 Brazil Team
Bronze 1916 Argentina Team
Bronze 1917 Uruguay Team
Bronze 1920 Chile Team
Bronze 1942 Uruguay Team
Bronze 1959 Ecuador Team
Bronze 1975 South America Team
Bronze 1979 South America Team
Panamerican Championship
Gold 1952 Chile Team
Gold 1956 Mexico Team
Silver 1960 Costa Rica Team
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Silver 1996 United States Team
Silver 2003 United States & Mexico Team
Bronze 1998 United States Team
FIFA Confederations Cup
Gold 1997 Saudi Arabia Team
Gold 2005 Germany Team
Gold 2009 South Africa Team
Gold 2013 Brazil Team
Silver 1999 Mexico Team
Olympic Games
Silver 1984 Los Angeles Team
Silver 1988 Seoul Team

The Brazil national football team (Portuguese: [Seleção Brasileira de Futebol] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)), nicknamed Seleção Canarinho (‘Canary Squad’, after their bright yellow jersey), represents Brazil in men's international football and is administered by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), the governing body for football in Brazil. They have been a member of FIFA since 1923 and a member of CONMEBOL since 1916.

Brazil is the most successful national team in the FIFA World Cup, being crowned winner five times: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. The Seleção also has the best overall performance in the World Cup competition, both in proportional and absolute terms, with a record of 76 victories in 114 matches played, 129 goal difference, 247 points, and 19 losses. It is the only national team to have played in all World Cup editions without any absence nor need for playoffs, and the only team to have won the World Cup in four different continents: once in Europe (1958 Sweden), once in South America (1962 Chile), twice in North America (1970 Mexico and 1994 United States), and once in Asia (2002 South Korea/Japan). Brazil is also the most successful team in the now-defunct FIFA Confederations Cup, winning it four times, in 1997, 2005, 2009, and 2013.

In ranking standings, Brazil have the highest average football Elo rating, and the fourth all-time peak football Elo rating, established in 1962. In FIFA's ranking system Brazil holds the record for most Team of the Year first ranking wins with 13. Many commentators, experts, and former players have considered the Brazil team of 1970 to be the greatest team of all time. Other Brazilian teams are also highly estimated and regularly appear listed among the best teams of all time, such as the Brazil teams of 1958–62 and the squads of the 1994–02 period, with honorary mentions for the gifted 1982 side. In 1996, the Brazilian national team achieved 35 consecutive matches undefeated, a feat which they held as a world record for 25 years.

Brazil has developed many rivalries through the years, with the most notable ones being with Argentina—known as the Superclássico das Américas in Portuguese, Italy—known as the Clássico Mundial in Portuguese or the World Derby in English, Uruguay due to the traumatic Maracanazo, and the Netherlands due to several important meetings between the two teams at several World Cups.

History

Early history (1914–1922)

Brazil national 1914
The first Brazil national team, 1914
Brazil v Exeter City (1914)
Brazil's first match at home against Exeter City in 1914

It is generally believed that the inaugural game of the Brazil national football team was a 1914 match between a Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo select team and the English club Exeter City, held in Fluminense's stadium. Brazil won 2–0 with goals by Oswaldo Gomes and Osman, though it is claimed that the match was a 3–3 draw.

In contrast to its future success, the national team's early appearances were not brilliant. Other early matches played during that time include several friendly games against Argentina (being defeated 3–0), Chile (first in 1916) and Uruguay (first on 12 July 1916). However, led by the goalscoring abilities of Arthur Friedenreich, they were victorious at home in the South American Championships in 1919, repeating their victory, also at home, in 1922.

First World Cup and title drought (1930–1949)

In 1930, Brazil played in the first World Cup, held in Uruguay. The squad defeated Bolivia but lost to Yugoslavia, being eliminated from the competition. They lost in the first round to Spain in 1934 in Italy, but reached the semi-finals in France in 1938, being defeated 2–1 by eventual winners Italy. Brazil were the only South American team to participate in this competition.

The 1949 South American Championship held in Brazil ended a 27-year streak without official titles. The last one had been in the 1922 South American Championship, also played on Brazilian soil.

The 1950 Maracanazo

Seleção Brasileira na Copa do Mundo de 1950
Brazil national team at the 1950 World Cup. National Archives of Brazil.

After that, Brazil first achieved international prominence when it hosted the 1950 FIFA World Cup. The team went into the last game of the final round, against Uruguay at Estádio do Maracanã in Rio, needing only a draw to win the World Cup. Uruguay, however, won the match and the Cup in a game known as "the Maracanazo". The match led to a period of national mourning.

For the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, Brazil was then almost completely renovated, with the team colours changed (to a new design by Aldyr Schlee) from all white to the yellow, blue and green of the national flag, to forget the Maracanazo, but still had a group of star players. Brazil reached the quarter-final, where they were beaten 4–2 by tournament favourites Hungary in one of the ugliest matches in football history, known as the Battle of Berne.

Pelé and the First Golden Era (1958–1970)

Bra par1959ca
The Brazil national team at the 1959 Copa América

For the 1958 World Cup, Brazil were drawn in a group with England, the USSR and Austria. They beat Austria 3–0 in their first match, then drew 0–0 with England. Before the match, coach Vicente Feola made three substitutions that were crucial for Brazil to defeat the Soviets: Zito, Garrincha and Pelé. From the kick-off, they kept up the pressure relentlessly, and after three minutes, which were later described as "the greatest three minutes in the history of football", Vavá gave Brazil the lead. They won the match by 2–0. Pelé scored the only goal of their quarter-final match against Wales, and they beat France 5–2 in the semi-final. Brazil then beat Sweden 5–2 in the final, winning their first World Cup and becoming the first nation to win a World Cup title outside of its own continent. Pelé described it tearfully as a nation coming of age.

Seleção Brasileira de Futebol na Copa do Mundo de 1962f
Defending champions Brazil at the 1962 FIFA World Cup

In the 1962 World Cup, Brazil earned its second title with Garrincha as the star player, a mantle and responsibility laid upon him after the regular talisman, Pelé, was injured during the second group match against Czechoslovakia and unable to play for the rest of the tournament.

In the 1966 World Cup, Brazil had their worst performance in a World Cup. The 1966 tournament was remembered for its excessively physical play, and Pelé was one of the players most affected. Against Portugal, several violent tackles by the Portuguese defenders caused Pelé to leave the match and the tournament. Brazil lost this match and was eliminated in the first round of the World Cup for the first time since 1934. They have not failed to reach the knockout stages of the competition since. Brazil became the second nation to be eliminated in the first round while holding the World Cup crown following Italy in 1950. After the 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups, France, Italy, Spain and Germany were also added to this list. After the tournament, Pelé declared that he did not wish to play in the World Cup again. Nonetheless, he returned in 1970.

Brazil 1970
The 1970 FIFA World Cup-winning Brazil team, considered by many distinguished commentators as the greatest football team ever

Brazil won its third World Cup in Mexico in 1970. It fielded what has since then often been considered the best World Cup football squad ever, led by Pelé in his last World Cup finals, captain Carlos Alberto Torres, Jairzinho, Tostão, Gérson and Rivelino. Even though Garrincha had retired, this team was still a force to be reckoned with. They won all six of their games—against Czechoslovakia, England and Romania during group play, and against Peru, Uruguay and Italy in the knockout rounds. Jairzinho was the second top scorer with seven goals, and is the only player to score in every match in a World Cup; Pelé finished with four goals. Brazil lifted the Jules Rimet trophy for the third time (the first nation to do so), which meant that they were allowed to keep it. A replacement was then commissioned, though it would be 24 years before Brazil won it again.

The dry spell (1974–1990)

After the international retirement of Pelé and other stars from the 1970 squad, Brazil was not able to overcome the Netherlands at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, and finished in fourth place after losing the third place game to Poland.

In the second group stage of the 1978 World Cup, Brazil competed with tournament hosts Argentina for top spot and a place in the finals. In their last group match, Brazil defeated Poland 3–1 to go to the top of the group with a goal difference of +5. Argentina had had a goal difference of +2, but in its last group match, it defeated Peru 6–0, and thus qualified for the final in a match accused of ultimately-unproven match fixing. Brazil subsequently beat Italy in the third place play-off, and were the only team to remain unbeaten in the tournament.

At the 1982 World Cup, held in Spain, Brazil were the tournament favorites, and easily moved through the early part of the draw, but a 3–2 defeat in Barcelona to Italy, in a classic World Cup match, eliminated them from the tournament in the match that they refer to as "Sarriá's Tragedy", referencing the stadium's name. The 1982 team, with a midfield of Sócrates, Zico, Falcão and Éder, is remembered as perhaps the greatest team never to win a World Cup.

Several players, including Sócrates and Zico, from 1982 returned to play at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Brazil, still a very good team and more disciplined defensively than four years earlier, met the Michel Platini-led France in the quarter-finals in a classic of Total Football. The game played to a 1–1 draw in regulation time, and after a goalless extra time, it all came down to a penalty shoot-out, where Brazil was defeated 4–3.

After a 40-year hiatus, Brazil was victorious in the 1989 Copa América, this being their fourth victory in four tournaments hosted in Brazil. This achievement ended Brazil's 19-year streak absent a championship. The last one had been in the 1970 World Cup.

At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Brazil was coached by Sebastião Lazaroni, that had been the coach in the 1989 Copa América. With a defensive scheme, whose main symbol was midfielder Dunga, forward Careca and three centre-backs, the team lacked creativity but made it to the second round. Brazil was eliminated by Diego Maradona-led Argentina in the round of 16 in Turin, losing to their South American archrivals 1–0.

The Second Golden Era (1994–2002)

Brasil seleccion 1994
The Brazil squad during the 1994 FIFA World Cup

Brazil went 24 years without winning a World Cup or even participating in a final. Their struggles ended at the 1994 tournament in the United States, where a solid side headed by Romário and Bebeto in attack, captain Dunga in midfield, goalkeeper Cláudio Taffarel and defender Jorginho, won the World Cup for a then-record fourth time. Highlights of their campaign included a 1–0 victory over the United States in the round of 16 at Stanford University, a 3–2 win over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals in Dallas, and a 1–0 victory over Sweden in the semi-finals at Pasadena's Rose Bowl. This set up Brazil–Italy in the final in Pasadena. A game played in searing heat which ended as a goalless draw, with Italy's defence led by Franco Baresi keeping out Romário, penalty kicks loomed, and Brazil became champions with Roberto Baggio missing Italy's last penalty. Despite the triumph, the 1994 World Cup winning team is not held in the same high esteem in Brazil as their other World Cup winning teams. FourFourTwo magazine labelled the 1994 team "unloved" in Brazil due to their pragmatic, defensive style over the more typical Brazilian style of attacking flair.

Entering the 1998 World Cup as defending champions, Brazil finished runner-up. Having topped their group and won the next two rounds, Brazil beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semi-final following a 1–1 draw. Player of the tournament Ronaldo scored four goals and made three assists en route to the final. The build up to the final itself was overshadowed by Ronaldo suffering a convulsive fit only hours before kick off. The starting line up without Ronaldo was released to a shocked world media, but after pleading that he felt fine and requested to play, Ronaldo was reinstated by the coach, before giving a below par performance as France, led by Zidane won 3–0.

Boeing 767-341-ER, Varig AN0251315
2002 World Cup winning Brazil national football team airplane in Brazilian team livery

Fuelled by the "Three R's" (Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho), Brazil won its fifth championship at the 2002 World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan. Brazil beat all three opponents in group play in South Korea and topped the group. In Brazil's opening game against Turkey, in Ulsan, Rivaldo fell to the ground clutching his face after Turkey's Hakan Ünsal had kicked the ball at his legs. Rivaldo escaped suspension but was fined £5,180 for play-acting, and became the first player ever to be punished in FIFA's crackdown on diving. In their knockout round matches in Japan, Brazil defeated Belgium 2–0 in Kobe in the round of 16. Brazil defeated England 2–1 in the quarter-finals in Shizuoka, with the winning goal coming from an unexpected free-kick by Ronaldinho from 40 yards out. The semi-final was against Turkey in Saitama; Brazil won 1–0. The final was between Germany and Brazil in Yokohama, where Ronaldo scored two goals in Brazil's 2–0 triumph. Ronaldo also won the Golden Shoe as the tournament's leading scorer with 8 goals. Brazil's success saw them receive the Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year.

Brazil won the 2004 Copa América, their third win in four competitions since 1997. Brazil also won the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup for the second time. Manager Carlos Alberto Parreira built his side through a 4–2–2–2 formation. Nicknamed the "Magic quartet", the attack was built around four players: Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaká and Ronaldinho.

World Cup drought (2006–present)

WM2006 BRA-JPN2
Brazil and Japan entering the field at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

In the 2006 World Cup, Brazil won its first two games against Croatia (1–0) and Australia (2–0). In the final group game against Japan, Brazil won 4–1. Ronaldo scored twice and equalled the record for the most goals scored across all World Cups. In the round of 16, Brazil beat Ghana 3–0. Ronaldo's goal was his 15th in World Cup history, breaking the record. Brazil, however, was eliminated in the quarter-finals against France, losing 1–0 to a Thierry Henry goal.

Dunga was hired as Brazil's new team manager in 2006. Brazil then won the 2007 Copa América, where forward Robinho was awarded the Golden Boot and named the tournament's best player. Two years later, Brazil won the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, defeating the U.S. 3–2 in the final, to seal their third Confederations Cup title. Kaká was named as the player of the tournament while striker Luís Fabiano won the top goalscorer award.

Brazil & Chile match at World Cup 2010-06-28 6
Brazil's Kaká against Chile at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa

At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Brazil won their first two matches against North Korea (2–1) and the Ivory Coast (3–1), respectively. Their last match, against Portugal, ended in a 0–0 draw. They faced Chile in the round of 16, winning 3–0, although in the quarter-final they fell to the Netherlands 2–1.

In July 2010, Mano Menezes was named as Brazil's new coach. At the 2011 Copa América, Brazil lost against Paraguay and was eliminated in the quarter-finals. On 4 July 2012, due to a lack of competitive matches because the team had automatically qualified for the 2014 World Cup as tournament hosts, Brazil was ranked 11th in the FIFA ranking.

Return of Luiz Felipe Scolari (2013–2014)

In November 2012, coach Mano Menezes was sacked and replaced by Luiz Felipe Scolari.

ConfedCup2013Champions4
Brazilian players celebrate winning the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. The team had five wins in five matches.

On 6 June 2013, Brazil was ranked 22nd in the FIFA ranking, their lowest-ever rank. Brazil entered the 2013 Confederations Cup with the objective of defending their title. In the final, Brazil faced Spain, winning 3–0 and sealing their fourth Confederations Cup title. Neymar was named player of the tournament and received the Golden Ball Award and the Adidas Bronze Shoe, and Júlio César won the Golden Glove Award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

2014 FIFA World Cup

In the opening match of the 2014 World Cup against Croatia, two goals from Neymar and one from Oscar saw the Seleção off to a winning start in their first World Cup on home soil in 64 years. The team then drew with Mexico, before confirming qualification to the knockout stage by defeating Cameroon 4–1 with Neymar again scoring twice, and Fred and Fernandinho providing further goals. Brazil faced Chile in the round of 16, taking an 18th-minute lead through David Luiz's first goal for the Seleção in a 1–1 draw. Brazil prevailed 3–2 on penalties, with Neymar, David Luiz and Marcelo converting their kicks, and goalkeeper Júlio César saving three times.

Brazil and Colombia match at the FIFA World Cup 2014-07-04 (26)
Brazil line up against Colombia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Neymar (front row, second from right) would play his last game at the tournament after being stretchered off with a fractured vertebra

The team again faced South American opposition in the quarter-final, defeating Colombia 2–1 with goals from central defenders David Luiz and the team captain Thiago Silva. Late in the match, Neymar was stretchered off after Juan Camilo Zúñiga's knee had made contact with the forward's back. Neymar was taken to hospital and was diagnosed with a fractured vertebra, ruling him out for the remainder of the tournament. Prior to this, Neymar had scored four goals, provided one assist, and been named man of the match twice. Brazil faced further problems ahead of their semi-final against Germany, as Thiago Silva was to serve a one-match suspension for receiving his second yellow card of the tournament in the quarter-final.

The Seleção went on to lose 1–7 to the Germans – their biggest ever defeat at the World Cup and first home loss in a competitive match since 1975. Towards the end of the match, the home crowd began to "olé" each pass from the German team, and booed their own players off the pitch after the final whistle. The match has been nicknamed the Mineirazo, making reference to the nation's previous World Cup defeat on home soil, the Maracanazo against Uruguay in 1950, and the Estádio do Mineirão where the match took place. Brazil subsequently lost 0–3 to the Netherlands in the third-place play-off match. The team ended the tournament with the worst defensive record of the 32 competing nations, having conceded 14 goals. The only other countries to concede 12 or more goals in the current World Cup format are North Korea and Saudi Arabia. Following these results, Scolari announced his resignation.

Return of Dunga (2014–2016)

Aecio Neves e Dunga - 17-06-2008 (8368243127) (cropped)
Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning captain Dunga was coach from 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 2016.

On 22 July 2014, Dunga was announced as the new manager of Brazil, returning to the position for the first time since the team's exit at the 2010 World Cup.

Dunga's first match in his second reign as Brazil's manager was a friendly match against 2014 World Cup quarter-finalists Colombia at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on 5 September 2014, with Brazil winning the match 1–0 through an 83rd-minute Neymar free-kick goal. Dunga followed this up with wins against Ecuador (1–0), in the 2014 Superclásico de las Américas against Argentina (2–0), against Japan (4–0), against Turkey (0–4), and against Austria (1–2). Dunga continued Brazil's winning streak in 2015 by defeating France 3–1 in another friendly. They followed this with wins against Chile (1–0), Mexico (2–0) and Honduras (1–0).

2015 Copa América

Brazil started the tournament with a victory against Peru after coming from behind by 2–1 (with Douglas Costa scoring in the dying moments), followed by a 1–0 defeat against Colombia and a 2–1 victory against Venezuela. In the knockout stage, Brazil faced Paraguay and was eliminated after drawing 1–1 in normal time and losing 4–3 in the penalty shootout. As such, Brazil was unable to qualify for a FIFA Confederations Cup (in this case, the 2017 edition) for the first time in almost 20 years.

Copa América Centenario

Brazil began the 2016 Copa América Centenario with a scoreless draw against Ecuador, with the Ecuadorians having a goal wrongly disallowed in the second half. This was followed by an emphatic 7–1 victory over Haiti, with Philippe Coutinho scoring a hat-trick. Needing only a draw to progress to the knockout stage of the tournament, Brazil suffered a controversial 1–0 loss to Peru, with Raúl Ruidíaz scoring in the 75th minute by guiding the ball into the net with his arm. This loss, Brazil's first loss to Peru since 1985, saw Brazil eliminated from the tournament in the group stage for the first time since 1987.

Tite era (2016–2022)

Bra-Cos (2)
Brazil team photograph prior to their group game against Costa Rica at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia
Brazil fans Russia 2018
Brazil supporters at the 2018 World Cup

On 14 June 2016, Tite replaced Dunga as manager of Brazil. Tite, who had managed Corinthians, the 2015 Brazilian champions and 2012 Club World Cup champions, was confirmed as his replacement six days later. Tite's debut was marked with a 3–0 away victory against Ecuador on 2 September, followed by a 2–1 win over Colombia, a 5–0 win against Bolivia and a 0–2 victory away against Venezuela, bringing Brazil to the top of the World Cup Qualifiers leaderboard for the first time since 2011. Brazil then defeated Paraguay 3–0 to become the first team, other than the hosts Russia, to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Brazil started their 2018 World Cup campaign with a draw against Switzerland – Brazil's goal coming from a 25-yard bending strike from Philippe Coutinho – their first non-win in an opener since 1978. In the following match against Costa Rica on 22 June, goals from Coutinho and Neymar in stoppage time saw Brazil win 2–0. They won their final group game 2–0 over Serbia with goals from Paulinho and Thiago Silva, meaning qualification for the last 16 as group winners. On 2 July, goals from Neymar and Roberto Firmino saw Brazil 2–0 win over Mexico to advance to the quarter-finals. On 6 July, Brazil were eliminated from the 2018 World Cup by Belgium in the quarter-finals, losing 2–1, with Fernandinho scoring an own goal for Belgium while Renato Augusto scored the only goal for Brazil.

In spite of World Cup failure, the CBF continued to trust Tite and allowed him to continue his job as coach of Brazil for the 2019 Copa América held at home. However, Brazilian perpetration for the tournament at home was hampered by the injury of Neymar in a friendly match where Brazil thrashed 2019 AFC Asian Cup champions Qatar 2–0. Despite this loss, Tite managed Brazil to their first Copa América title since 2007. Brazil overcame Bolivia after a goalless first half and Peru in a celebratory 5–0 demolition. Between these matches, Brazil drew Venezuela in a 0–0 draw with three goals ruled out by VAR. Brazil met Paraguay in the quarter-finals where they won a 4–3 penalty shootout after a goalless draw. In the semi-finals Brazil beat neighboring Argentina 2–0 to setup a rematch with Peru. In the final, Brazil managed to defeat the Peruvians once again 3–1 to conquer their ninth Copa América title.

On 8 June 2021, Brazil beat Paraguay 2–0 in a World Cup qualifier in Asunción – the first time they had won in the country since 1985. In the 2022 World Cup, Brazil finished first in their group, having beaten Serbia 2–0, Switzerland 1–0, and losing 1–0 to Cameroon. The team then faced South Korea in the round of 16, winning with a 3-goal margin, and progressed to the quarterfinals where they eventually lost 4–2 on penalties to Croatia. Following their exit from the World Cup, Tite resigned as head coach.

Team image

Uniforms

Brazil's first team colors were white with blue collars, but following the defeat at Maracanã in the 1950 World Cup, the colors were criticised for lacking patriotism. With permission from the Brazilian Sports Confederation, the newspaper Correio da Manhã held a competition to design a new kit incorporating the four colors of the Brazilian flag. The winning design was a yellow jersey with green trim and blue shorts with the white trim drawn by Aldyr Garcia Schlee, a nineteen-year-old from Pelotas. The new colors were first used in March 1954 in a match against Chile, and have been used ever since. Topper were the manufacturers of Brazil's kit up to and including the match against Wales on 11 September 1991; Umbro took over before the next match, versus Yugoslavia in October 1991. Nike began making Brazil kits in late 1996, in time for the 1997 Copa América and the 1998 World Cup.

The use of blue and white as the second kit colors owes its origins to the defunct latter day Portuguese monarchy and dates from the 1930s, but it became the permanent second choice accidentally in the 1958 World Cup Final. Brazil's opponents were Sweden, who also wear yellow, and a draw gave the home team, Sweden, the right to play in yellow. Brazil, who travelled with no second kit, hurriedly purchased a set of blue shirts and sewed on them the badges taken from their yellow shirts.

Kit sponsorship

Kit supplier Period Contract
announcement
Contract
duration
Value Ref.
None 1908–1954
Athleta sportsbrand logo.png
Athleta
1954–1977 1954–1977 None
Adidas Logo.svg
Adidas
1977–1981 1977–1981
Topper brand logo.png
Topper
1981–1991 1981–1991
Logo Umbro.png
Umbro
1991–1996 1991–1996
Logo NIKE.svg
Nike
1997–present December 1996 1997–2007 Total $200 million~$250 million
Unknown 2008–2026 69.5 million per year

Nicknames

The Brazil national team is known by different names in various parts of the world. Nicknames for the squad in Brazil include: Canarinho, meaning 'Little Canary', a reference to a species of bird commonly found in Brazil that has a vivid yellow color, this phrase was popularized by the late cartoonist Fernando "Mangabeira" Pieruccetti during the 1950 World Cup despite the team not wearing the color yet back then; Amarelinha (Little Yellow One), Seleção (The National Squad), Verde-amarela (The Green and Yellow), Pentacampeão (Five-time Champions), and Esquadrão de Ouro (The Golden Squad). Some Latin American commentators often refer to the Brazil team as El Scratch (The Scratch), among others.

Training camp

Teresopolis-Comary1
Granja Comary complex is the training camp of the national team.

Brazil's training camp is the Granja Comary in Teresópolis, located 90 km (56 mi) from Rio de Janeiro. Granja Comary was opened in 1987, and underwent significant renovations in 2013 and 2014.

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results from the previous 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss

2022

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Vacant
Assistant coach
Goalkeeping coach
Fitness coach
General coordinator

Players

Current squad

The following 26 players were called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Information correct as of 9 December 2022, after the match against Croatia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Alisson Becker (1992-10-02) 2 October 1992 (age 31) 61 0 England Liverpool
12 1GK Weverton (1987-12-13) 13 December 1987 (age 36) 9 0 Brazil Palmeiras
23 1GK Ederson (1993-08-17) 17 August 1993 (age 30) 19 0 England Manchester City

2 2DF Danilo (1991-07-15) 15 July 1991 (age 32) 49 1 Italy Juventus
3 2DF Thiago Silva (captain) (1984-09-22) 22 September 1984 (age 39) 113 7 England Chelsea
4 2DF Marquinhos (1994-05-14) 14 May 1994 (age 29) 76 5 France Paris Saint-Germain
6 2DF Alex Sandro (1991-01-26) 26 January 1991 (age 33) 40 2 Italy Juventus
13 2DF Dani Alves (1983-05-06) 6 May 1983 (age 40) 126 8 Mexico UNAM
14 2DF Éder Militão (1998-01-18) 18 January 1998 (age 26) 27 1 Spain Real Madrid
16 2DF Alex Telles (1992-12-15) 15 December 1992 (age 31) 10 0 Spain Sevilla
24 2DF Bremer (1997-03-18) 18 March 1997 (age 27) 3 0 Italy Juventus

5 3MF Casemiro (1992-02-23) 23 February 1992 (age 32) 69 6 England Manchester United
7 3MF Lucas Paquetá (1997-08-27) 27 August 1997 (age 26) 39 8 England West Ham United
8 3MF Fred (1993-03-05) 5 March 1993 (age 31) 32 0 England Manchester United
15 3MF Fabinho (1993-10-23) 23 October 1993 (age 30) 29 0 England Liverpool
17 3MF Bruno Guimarães (1997-11-16) 16 November 1997 (age 26) 10 1 England Newcastle United
22 3MF Éverton Ribeiro (1989-04-10) 10 April 1989 (age 34) 22 3 Brazil Flamengo

9 4FW Richarlison (1997-05-10) 10 May 1997 (age 26) 42 20 England Tottenham Hotspur
10 4FW Neymar (1992-02-05) 5 February 1992 (age 32) 124 77 France Paris Saint-Germain
11 4FW Raphinha (1996-12-14) 14 December 1996 (age 27) 16 5 Spain Barcelona
18 4FW Gabriel Jesus (1997-04-03) 3 April 1997 (age 26) 59 19 England Arsenal
19 4FW Antony (2000-02-24) 24 February 2000 (age 24) 15 2 England Manchester United
20 4FW Vinícius Júnior (2000-07-12) 12 July 2000 (age 23) 20 2 Spain Real Madrid
21 4FW Rodrygo (2001-01-09) 9 January 2001 (age 23) 12 1 Spain Real Madrid
25 4FW Pedro (1997-06-20) 20 June 1997 (age 26) 4 1 Brazil Flamengo
26 4FW Gabriel Martinelli (2001-06-18) 18 June 2001 (age 22) 6 0 England Arsenal

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up to the Brazil squad in the last 12 months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Everson (1990-07-22) 22 July 1990 (age 33) 0 0 Brazil Atlético Mineiro v.  Bolivia, 29 March 2022
GK Santos (1990-03-17) 17 March 1990 (age 34) 0 0 Brazil Flamengo v.  Bolivia, 29 March 2022

DF Renan Lodi (1998-04-08) 8 April 1998 (age 25) 16 0 England Nottingham Forest v.  Tunisia, 27 September 2022
DF Roger Ibañez (1998-11-23) 23 November 1998 (age 25) 1 0 Italy Roma v.  Tunisia, 27 September 2022
DF Guilherme Arana (1997-04-14) 14 April 1997 (age 26) 4 0 Brazil Atlético Mineiro v.  Japan, 6 June 2022
DF Gabriel Magalhães (1997-12-19) 19 December 1997 (age 26) 0 0 England Arsenal v.  Japan, 6 June 2022
DF Léo Ortiz (1996-01-03) 3 January 1996 (age 28) 0 0 Brazil Red Bull Bragantino v.  Japan, 6 June 2022
DF Felipe (1989-05-16) 16 May 1989 (age 34) 2 0 Spain Atlético Madrid v.  Bolivia, 29 March 2022
DF Emerson (1999-01-14) 14 January 1999 (age 25) 7 0 England Tottenham Hotspur v.  Paraguay, 1 February 2022 SUS

MF Philippe Coutinho (1992-06-12) 12 June 1992 (age 31) 68 21 England Aston Villa v.  Japan, 6 June 2022
MF Danilo (2001-04-19) 19 April 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Brazil Palmeiras v.  Japan, 6 June 2022
MF Arthur (1996-08-12) 12 August 1996 (age 27) 22 1 England Liverpool v.  Bolivia, 29 March 2022
MF Gerson (1997-05-20) 20 May 1997 (age 26) 4 0 France Marseille v.  Paraguay, 1 February 2022

FW Roberto Firmino (1991-10-02) 2 October 1991 (age 32) 55 17 England Liverpool v.  Tunisia, 27 September 2022
FW Matheus Cunha (1999-05-27) 27 May 1999 (age 24) 8 0 Spain Atlético Madrid v.  Tunisia, 27 September 2022
FW Gabriel Barbosa (1996-08-30) 30 August 1996 (age 27) 18 5 Brazil Flamengo v.  Paraguay, 1 February 2022

  • INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to injury
  • SUS Player served suspension
  • WIT Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue

Individual records

Brazil national football team records and statistics

Manager records

Mário Zagallo became the first person to win the FIFA World Cup both as a player (1958 and 1962) and as a manager (1970). In 1970, when he was of age 38, he won the FIFA World Cup which made him the second youngest coach to win the FIFA World Cup. While still in Brazil as an assistant coach, the team won the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Competitive record

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place        Fourth place      Tournament played fully or partially on home soil  

FIFA World Cup

Brazil has qualified for every FIFA World Cup they entered, never requiring a qualifying play-off. With five titles, they have won the tournament on more occasions than any other national team.

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Group stage 6th 2 1 0 1 5 2 Squad Qualified as invitees
Italy 1934 Round of 16 14th 1 0 0 1 1 3 Squad Qualified automatically
France 1938 Third place 3rd 5 3 1 1 14 11 Squad
Brazil 1950 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 22 6 Squad Qualified as hosts
Switzerland 1954 Quarter-finals 5th 3 1 1 1 8 5 Squad 4 4 0 0 8 1
Sweden 1958 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 16 4 Squad 2 1 1 0 2 1
Chile 1962 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 14 5 Squad Qualified as defending champions
England 1966 Group stage 11th 3 1 0 2 4 6 Squad
Mexico 1970 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 19 7 Squad 6 6 0 0 23 2
West Germany 1974 Fourth place 4th 7 3 2 2 6 4 Squad Qualified as defending champions
Argentina 1978 Third place 3rd 7 4 3 0 10 3 Squad 6 4 2 0 17 1
Spain 1982 Second group stage 5th 5 4 0 1 15 6 Squad 4 4 0 0 11 2
Mexico 1986 Quarter-finals 5th 5 4 1 0 10 1 Squad 4 2 2 0 6 2
Italy 1990 Round of 16 9th 4 3 0 1 4 2 Squad 4 3 1 0 13 1
United States 1994 Champions 1st 7 5 2 0 11 3 Squad 8 5 2 1 20 4
France 1998 Runners-up 2nd 7 4 1 2 14 10 Squad Qualified as defending champions
South Korea Japan 2002 Champions 1st 7 7 0 0 18 4 Squad 18 9 3 6 31 17
Germany 2006 Quarter-finals 5th 5 4 0 1 10 2 Squad 18 9 7 2 35 17
South Africa 2010 6th 5 3 1 1 9 4 Squad 18 9 7 2 33 11
Brazil 2014 Fourth place 4th 7 3 2 2 11 14 Squad Qualified as hosts
Russia 2018 Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 1 1 8 3 Squad 18 12 5 1 41 11
Qatar 2022 7th 5 3 1 1 8 3 Squad 17 14 3 0 40 5
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Total 5 titles 22/22 114 76 19 19 237 108 127 82 33 12 280 75
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Copa América

South American Championship / Copa América record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Argentina 1916 Third place 3rd 3 0 2 1 3 4 Squad
Uruguay 1917 Third place 3rd 3 1 0 2 7 8 Squad
Brazil 1919 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 12 3 Squad
Chile 1920 Third place 3rd 3 1 0 2 1 8 Squad
Argentina 1921 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 0 2 4 3 Squad
Brazil 1922 Champions 1st 5 2 3 0 7 2 Squad
Uruguay 1923 Fourth place 4th 3 0 0 3 2 5 Squad
Uruguay 1924 Withdrew
Argentina 1925 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 11 9 Squad
Chile 1926 Withdrew
Peru 1927
Argentina 1929
Peru 1935
Argentina 1937 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 0 2 17 11 Squad
Peru 1939 Withdrew
Chile 1941
Uruguay 1942 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 15 7 Squad
Chile 1945 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 19 5 Squad
Argentina 1946 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 13 7 Squad
Ecuador 1947 Withdrew
Brazil 1949 Champions 1st 8 7 0 1 46 7 Squad
Peru 1953 Runners-up 2nd 7 4 0 3 17 9 Squad
Chile 1955 Withdrew
Uruguay 1956 Fourth place 4th 5 2 2 1 4 5 Squad
Peru 1957 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 0 2 23 9 Squad
Argentina 1959 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 2 0 17 7 Squad
Ecuador 1959 Third place 3rd 4 2 0 2 7 10 Squad
Bolivia 1963 Fourth place 4th 6 2 1 3 12 13 Squad
Uruguay 1967 Withdrew
South America 1975 Third place 3rd 6 5 0 1 16 4 Squad
South America 1979 Third place 3rd 6 2 2 2 10 9 Squad
South America 1983 Runners-up 2nd 8 2 4 2 8 5 Squad
Argentina 1987 Group stage 5th 2 1 0 1 5 4 Squad
Brazil 1989 Champions 1st 7 5 2 0 11 1 Squad
Chile 1991 Runners-up 2nd 7 4 1 2 12 8 Squad
Ecuador 1993 Quarter-finals 5th 4 1 2 1 6 4 Squad
Uruguay 1995 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 2 0 10 3 Squad
Bolivia 1997 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 22 3 Squad
Paraguay 1999 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 17 2 Squad
Colombia 2001 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 0 2 5 4 Squad
Peru 2004 Champions 1st 6 3 2 1 13 6 Squad
Venezuela 2007 Champions 1st 6 4 1 1 15 5 Squad
Argentina 2011 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 3 0 6 4 Squad
Chile 2015 5th 4 2 1 1 5 4 Squad
United States 2016 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 7 2 Squad
Brazil 2019 Champions 1st 6 4 2 0 13 1 Squad
Brazil 2021 Runners-up 2nd 7 5 1 1 12 3 Squad
N/A 2024 Qualified
Total 9 titles 37/47 191 108 38 45 430 204

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Saudi Arabia 1992 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1995
Saudi Arabia 1997 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 14 2 Squad
Mexico 1999 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 18 6 Squad
South Korea Japan 2001 Fourth place 4th 5 1 2 2 3 3 Squad
France 2003 Group stage 5th 3 1 1 1 3 3 Squad
Germany 2005 Champions 1st 5 3 1 1 12 6 Squad
South Africa 2009 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 14 5 Squad
Brazil 2013 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 14 3 Squad
Russia 2017 Did not qualify
Total 4 titles 7/10 33 23 5 5 78 28

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
France 1900 Did not participate
United States 1904
United Kingdom 1908
Sweden 1912
Belgium 1920
France 1924
Netherlands 1928
Germany 1936
United Kingdom 1948
Finland 1952 Quarter-finals 6th 3 2 0 1 9 6 Squad
Australia 1956 Did not participate
Italy 1960 Group stage 6th 3 2 0 1 10 6 Squad
Japan 1964 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 5 2 Squad
Mexico 1968 Group stage 11th 3 0 2 1 4 5 Squad
West Germany 1972 Group stage 12th 3 0 1 2 4 6 Squad
Canada 1976 Fourth place 4th 5 2 1 2 6 6 Squad
Soviet Union 1980 Did not qualify
United States 1984 Silver medal 2nd 6 4 1 1 9 5 Squad
South Korea 1988 Silver medal 2nd 6 4 1 1 12 4 Squad
Since 1992 See Brazil national under-23 football team
Total 2 silver medals 8/19 32 15 7 10 59 40

Head-to-head record

Brazil national football team records and statistics

Honours

Winning brazilian National team 1958
Brazil's national squad celebrating the title of the 1958 FIFA World Cup
2019 Final da Copa América 2019 - 48226559171
Brazil champions of 2019 Copa América.
ConfedCup2013Champions2
Fred holding the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup title

Major competitions

South American tournaments

  • Roca Cup / Superclásico de las Américas (vs  Argentina):
    • Winners (12): 1914, 1922, 1945, 1957, 1960, 1963, 1971 (shared), 1976, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018
  • Copa Confraternidad (vs  Argentina):
    • Winners: 1923
  • Copa 50imo Aniversario de Clarín (vs  Argentina):
    • Winners: 1995
  • Copa Río Branco (vs  Uruguay):
    • Winners (7): 1931, 1932, 1947, 1950, 1967 (shared), 1968, 1976
  • Copa Rodrigues Alves (vs  Paraguay):
    • Winners (2): 1922, 1923
  • Taça Oswaldo Cruz (vs  Paraguay):
    • Winners (8): 1950, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1976
  • Copa Bernardo O'Higgins (vs  Chile):
    • Winners (4): 1955, 1959, 1961, 1966 (shared)
  • Copa Teixeira (vs  Chile):
    • Winners: 1990 (shared)
  • Taça Jorge Chavéz / Santos Dumont (vs  Peru):
    • Winners: 1968

Olympic Games

  • Olympic Games:
    • Runners-up (2): 1984, 1988
    • Fourth place (1): 1976
  • CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament:
    • Champions (5): 1968, 1971, 1976, 1984, 1987
    • Runners-up (1): 1964
    • Third place (1): 1960

Friendlies

  • Taça Interventor Federal (vs EC Bahia):
    • Winners: 1934
  • Taça Dois de Julho (vs Bahia XI):
    • Winners: 1934
  • Copa Emílio Garrastazú Médici (vs  Mexico):
    • Winners: 1970
  • Taça Independência:
    • Winners: 1972
  • Taça do Atlântico:
    • Winners (3): 1956, 1970, 1976
  • U.S.A. Bicentennial Cup Tournament:
    • Winners: 1976
  • Taça Centenário Jornal O Fluminense (vs Rio de Janeiro XI):
    • Winners: 1978
  • Saudi Crown Prince Trophy (vs Al Ahli Saudi FC):
    • Winners: 1978
  • Rous Cup:
  • Australia Bicentenary Gold Cup:
    • Winners: 1988
  • Amistad Cup:
    • Winners: 1992
  • Umbro Cup:
    • Winners: 1995
  • Nelson Mandela Challenge:
    • Winners: 1996
  • Lunar New Year Cup:
    • Winners: 2005
  • Kirin Challenge Cup:
    • Winners: 2022

Awards

  • Winners (2): 1982, 2002
  • Laureus World Team of the Year
    • Winners: 2003
  • FIFA World Cup Fair Play Trophy:
  • FIFA Confederations Cup Fair Play Trophy:
    • Winners (2): 1999, 2009
  • Copa América Fair Play Trophy:
    • Winners (2): 2019, 2021

Chronology of titles

Headquarters Tournament Year N.º
Brazil Brazil Copa América 1919
Brazil Brazil Copa América 1922
Brazil Brazil Copa América 1949
Chile Chile Panamerican Championship 1952
Mexico Mexico Panamerican Championship 1956
Sweden Sweden FIFA World Cup 1958
Chile Chile FIFA World Cup 1962
Mexico Mexico FIFA World Cup 1970
Brazil Brazil Copa América 1989
United States United States FIFA World Cup 1994 10º
Bolivia Bolivia Copa América 1997 11º
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia FIFA Confederations Cup 1997 12º
Paraguay Paraguay Copa América 1999 13º
South KoreaJapan South Korea–Japan FIFA World Cup 2002 14º
Peru Peru Copa América 2004 15º
Germany Germany FIFA Confederations Cup 2005 16º
Venezuela Venezuela Copa América 2007 17º
South Africa South Africa FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 18º
Brazil Brazil FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 19º
Brazil Brazil Copa América 2019 20º

Summary

Senior competition 1 2 3 Total
World Cup 5 2 2 9
Copa América 9 12 7 28
Panamerican Championship 2 1 0 3
Gold Cup 0 2 1 3
Confederations Cup 4 1 0 5
Total 20 18 10 48

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Brasil para niños

  • Brazil national football team results (2010–19)
  • Brazil national under-23 football team
  • Brazil national under-20 football team
  • Brazil national under-17 football team
  • Brazil national futsal team
  • Brazil national beach soccer team
  • Brazilian football songs
  • List of Brazil national football team managers
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Brazil national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.