Denílson (footballer, born 1977) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Denílson

Denilson in 2021
Personal information
Date of birth	(1977-08-24) 24 August 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth	Diadema, Brazil
Height	1.78 m
Playing position	Winger
Youth career
	São Paulo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1998	São Paulo	191	(26)
1998–2005	Real Betis	196	(14)
2000	→ Flamengo (loan)	17	(4)
2005–2006	Bordeaux	31	(3)
2006–2007	Al Nassr	15	(3)
2007	FC Dallas	8	(1)
2008	Palmeiras	55	(7)
2009	Itumbiara	0	(0)
2009	Hải Phòng	1	(1)
2010	Kavala	0	(0)
Total		514	(60)
National team
1996–2003	Brazil	61	(8)
Honours Men's football Representing  Brazil FIFA World Cup Winner 2002 Korea/Japan
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Denílson de Oliveira Araújo (born 24 August 1977), known as Denílson, is a Brazilian football expert and former professional player. He played as a winger, which is a player who attacks from the sides of the field.

Denílson played football for 17 years. He was most famous for playing with São Paulo in Brazil and Real Betis in Spain. In 1998, he became the world's most expensive player when Real Betis bought him. He also played for teams in five other countries.

He played more than 60 games for the Brazilian national team. He joined the team before he turned 20. Denílson played in six big international tournaments, including two World Cups. He helped Brazil win the World Cup in 2002. Denílson was well-known for his amazing dribbling skills.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at São Paulo and Moving to Betis

Denílson was born in Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil. He started playing for São Paulo when he was only 17. He helped his team win the 1994 Copa CONMEBOL tournament in 1994.

In 1998, Real Betis in Spain paid a huge amount of money for him. This made him the most expensive player in the world at that time. He played his first game in Spain on 29 August. In his first season, he played 35 games and scored two goals.

Betis was later moved down to a lower league in 2000. Denílson went back to Brazil for a short time to play for Flamengo. He returned to Betis in 2001 and helped them get back to the top league. He continued to play regularly for Betis, often coming in as a substitute.

In the 2004–05 season, Betis finished fourth in the league. They also won the Spanish Cup. Denílson was not a main player during this time.

Playing for Bordeaux and FC Dallas

In 2005, Denílson moved to the French club Bordeaux. He played regularly in his only season there. The team finished second in the French league.

After Bordeaux, Denílson played for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia for a few months.

On 24 August 2007, Denílson joined FC Dallas in the Major League Soccer in the United States. He was a "designated player," which means he earned a higher salary. He scored his first goal for Dallas from a penalty spot. However, he only scored one goal and had no assists during his time there.

Later Years in Football

After leaving FC Dallas, Denílson signed with Palmeiras in Brazil in 2008. He helped them win the São Paulo State Championship. He also helped the team get a spot in the Copa Libertadores, a big South American tournament.

In 2009, Denílson had a short trial with Bolton Wanderers in England. He also played briefly for Itumbiara in Brazil. Later that year, he signed with Hải Phòng in Vietnam. He scored a goal in his first game but left after only three weeks due to an injury.

In 2010, Denílson signed with Kavala in Greece. He did not play any games for them before he was released.

International Career with Brazil

Denílson first played for the Brazilian national team in November 1996. He was only 19 years old.

He was part of the team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Brazil finished as runners-up in that tournament. Before that, in 1997, he helped Brazil win the 1997 Copa América and the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Denílson was also chosen for the 2002 FIFA World Cup team. Brazil won their fifth World Cup title that year. Denílson played in five matches, usually coming on as a substitute. He even played for one minute in the final game against Germany.

After 2003, Denílson was not called to play for the national team again. He played a total of 61 games for Brazil.

How Denílson Played

Denílson was a very creative and skilled player. He was left-footed and usually played as a winger on the left side. This meant he played either in midfield or further up the field.

He was known for his speed and exciting dribbling skills. He often used special moves and feints to get past opponents. One of his favorite moves was the step over, where he would move his foot over the ball without touching it to trick defenders.

Even though he was very talented when he was young, some experts felt he did not reach his full potential. This was because he sometimes struggled to score goals consistently.

Media Appearances

Denílson was sponsored by the sports company Nike. He appeared in their commercials. For example, in a big ad campaign before the 2002 World Cup, he was in a commercial called "Secret Tournament." Many famous football players like Ronaldinho and Ronaldo were also in it.

In 2017, Denílson also became an ambassador for 888poker, a company that runs online poker games.

After Retiring from Football

After he stopped playing professional football, Denílson became a sports commentator. He now works for a TV channel called Rede Bandeirantes in Brazil.

Honours and Awards

São Paulo

• Copa CONMEBOL: 1994
• Campeonato Paulista: 1998

Betis

• Copa del Rey: 2004–05

Palmeiras

• Campeonato Paulista: 2008

Brazil

• FIFA World Cup: 2002, runner-up: 1998
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 1997
• Copa America: 1997
• CONCACAF Gold Cup third place: 1998

Individual

• FIFA Confederations Cup: Golden Ball 1997
• South American Team of the Year: 1997

See also

In Spanish: Denílson de Oliveira para niños