The History of Soccer in Brazil

Leaving the introductory crap behind, let's move on to what is really the main point of this article and focus on the main events in the history of Brazilian soccer.

History of Soccer in Brazil – Dawn of a New Religion
Ok, the comparison of soccer to a religion might seem a bit exaggerated, but the fervor with which Brazilians "worship" soccer and their national team brings these two terms together. And although it might seem that Brazilians were always fond on soccer, the sport didn't really grow roots here as fast as it did in Europe. 

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So despite what we think today of Brazilian fans as being fanatic in the good sense, they weren't always like this and soccer was not necessarily an extremely popular sport in the early 20th century.

The history of soccer in Brazil really starts in 1930, when they participated in the first World Cup and despite being knocked out in the first stages, the media coverage of the World Cup brought soccer in the light and in the eyes of every young Brazilian.

History of Soccer in Brazil – The Writers
As with any history, the soccer history of Brazil had several "writers" along the team's century long life. Starting with the first player to ever score 4 goals in a single World Cup match, 1938's Leonidas da Silva, the history of soccer in Brazil was continued by a magnificent couple in the mid 20th century, namely Pele and Garrincha. 

Marked as the first and second most important Brazilian soccer players of all times (Pele even being widely considered the best player in the World), this dynamic offensive duo was crucial in achieving 3 of Brazil's historical successes, namely the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cup wins (although Garrincha had already retired from soccer when Brazil won the 1970 World Cup).

With such a demanding past hovering over their heads, you would think today's Brazilian soccer players would crumble under the pressure, but a new series of writers for the history of Brazilian soccer emerged. Lead by veteran captain Dunga, Brazil managed to clinch their fourth World Cup in 1994, alongside other famous Brazilian players such as Romario, Bebeto or Cafu.

The 1994 team also had a youngster in the squad, 18 year old Ronaldo, who was then one of the most anticipated future talents in the Selecao. Although he would not play a huge part in the 1994 success, Ronaldo was decisive 4 years later when Brazil reached the final, but lost to a solid France host.

Aided by new talented players such as Ronaldinho, Adriano or Lucio, together with some "oldtimers" such as Cafu or Roberto Carlos, Brazil managed to pull their greatest ever World Cup performance in 2002, winning the trophy with a crushing statistical record.

After the Selecao's rather unexpectedly poor performance in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, many rushed to say that this was the end of a glorious chapter in the history of soccer in Brazil.

However, most of Brazil's stars are still in the soccer prime and are bound to be playing at high levels in 2010 and probably even after that, giving them a chance to extend this chapter and win an unprecedented sixth World Cup title in the following runs.