Without a doubt, no sport draws as much interest, stirs up as much passion, or elicits such ferocious intensity in Brazil as futbol.
Hands down, no country has a more storied soccer history than Brazil. Names such as Pele, Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldino are not only ingrained in the minds of the common Brazilian, but also hold a special place in international soccer lore.
The five World Cup championships in 18 appearances speak for themselves, as do the eight championships in 31 Copa America appearances, as well as the two titles they’ve won in the Confederations Cup.
Since 1992, the year the FIFA World Rankings were created, Brazil has ranked no lower than eighth. Simply put, the Brazilian soccer team is the most successful national football team in the history of the world.
But, while Brazil has been piling up all those championships and victories, their most storied historic moments all come from a period from 1958-1970, also known as the “golden age of Brazilian futbol.”
The Beginning
The first futbol match that exists in “A Selecao’s” annals took place in 1914. The Brazilian team upset an English club 2-0. Although they won the game, things were not so easy for Brazil in the early days.
Being a developing country, Brazil had more important things to worry about than soccer, but much to their credit, they stuck with it, utilizing the same Brazilian passion that their people put into all they do. When the first international match took place in Buenos Aires, in Argentina only a few months later, the disunity of the Brazilian team showed, and they fell to the Argentine team 3-0. The match up with the Argentineans began what would develop into one of the most intense rivalries in all of sports.
Their first real taste of victory came in 1919, when the Brazilian team brought home the first of eight Copa America championships. They repeated their performance in 1922, and with the news of a possible World Championship looming, the Brazilian team readied themselves for the first World Cup, held in 1930.
Early Struggles
The World Cup has been dominated by the Brazilian team since it’s inception in 1930. The national team has taken home a trophy in every decade except for the 1980s and the only other team to match the Brazilian’s dominance has been the Italians, who have only won two World Cups since the 1940s.
To put it in perspective, the Brazilian team has won five of the thirteen championships since winning their first in 1958. Their first appearance came in 1930 however, and the teams performance did not live up to national expectations. They were knocked out in the first stage, unexpectedly losing a match to Yugoslavia 2-1, who advanced to the semi-finals before losing to eventual champion Uruguay.
The team’s unsatisfactory performance was made worse by the fact that Brazil’s chief rival Argentina made the final. The team’s performance in 1934 was much more disappointing, however, as the Cup switched formats to a playoff-style system that saw Brazil eliminated in the first round by Spain.
comments (5) write a comment »
write a new comment
8 months ago
Well put together and a very interesting read. Thanks for sharing.
8 months ago
The brazilian players and the brazilian league are the best in the world. It one of the few leagues that is dominated by their own countryman and can hold up against any team in the world. Hats off to the article!
from 8 months ago
100% straight!!!!!
8 months ago
Great stuff. I think 2002 was a great team as well.
No mention made of the art football years 1982 and 86.
8 months ago
Pretty long article but Great quality.
Good going man...
write a new comment