All Brazilian players that were the best in the world

So I'm listing the players from Brazil that were in the discussion for being considered the best in the world during their time.

I know Arthur Friedenreich was probably the first to enter the debate between 1918-30, during the amateur era, but, due to him having played so far back, it is hard to determine in which years/seasons he would truly be placed on top.

Moving on to the professional era, the next player that would be in the discussion for best in the world would be Leônidas da Silva, mainly in the 1938-1943 period. In 1938, he was the World Cup's top-scorer and was named the best player of the competition. The following year, 1939, he was essential for Flamengo to put an end to its 12-year drought without a trophie, by leading the team to the Carioca Championship title. And he kept playing at top level in 1940 as well, going head to head with Fluminense and winning the Rio-São Paulo Tournament.
After those 3 years, I believe he would only re-enter the debate in 1943, after making his famous move to São Paulo, which completely changed the club's status, transforming it into the superpower it became in Brazil until the late 1940s. Leônidas piled up titles for SPFC, but I believe he wouldn't continue in the discussion for world's best player after 1943.

Following him, the next Brazilian with a strong claim for being the best player in the world would be Zizinho. He had already played with Leônidas at Flamengo from 1939 to 1941, still at an early age, and only really became the team's main player and maestro after Leônidas departure to São Paulo. Zizinho led Flamengo to its historic Carioca Championship titles 3 times in a row in 1942-43-44.
He would continue to be Brazil biggest superstar for the rest of the 1940s decade, but, due to Flamengo’s lack of titles after 1944, he would probably only re-enter the debate in 1949-50, for his performances with the Brazil national team.

Soon after Zizinho’s breakout with Flamengo, Ademir de Menezes had his own breakout with rival Vasco da Gama, in 1945. Ademir’s rise was meteoric, starting in 1944-45, when he became the main star of the legendary “Expresso da Vitória” squad that piled up titles for Vasco from 1945 until the early 1950s. In 1948, he led Vasco to the title of the first South American club competition ever and in 1949 he was the best player at the South American Championship that was won by Brazil (after a decades-long drought without titles). He was also one of the top players at the 1950 World Cup, finishing the competition as the top-scorer, and kept going strong until 1952.

The next guy that would have a claim for best player in the world would be Jair Rosa Pinto, in 1951. Although often placed "in the shadow” of Zizinho and Ademir, Jair was amongst the best midfielders in the world in the 1940s and was a key-player for the Brazil national team that was widely considered the best team on the planet in 1949-50. But it would only be in 1951 that he could really claim to enter the discussion for the best player in the world, when he led Palmeiras to its Rio-São Paulo title overcoming a powerful Corintihans side in the final, their arch-rivals, and, of course, upon leading Palmeiras to the title of the first intercontinental competition in the history of football – the Copa Rio (officially, "International Tournament of Champions").
Jair’s 1951 season was so outstanding that he could have a very serious claim for being named the best player in the world that year.

After that, Brazil would go for a few years without a player with a strong claim. The early 1950s saw the rise of several elite players, like Baltazar, Julinho Botelho and Rodrigues. But only Didi would really be the one to make it all the way to the top.
Although Didi was already playing an important role winning titles with Fluminense in 1951-52 and was already an integral member of the Brazil national team from 1952 onwards, it would only be after his transfer to Botafogo in 1956 that he would reach his prime level. In 1957, he leads Botafogo to the Carioca title and is the top player for Brazil at the South American Championship. The next year, 1958, he receives the ultimate prize, leading Brazil as the maestro of the team that won the country’s first World Cup title. Didi was named the competition’s best player.

 

LEÔNIDAS DA SILVA'S CLAIMS:

• 1938 (Flamengo)
• 1939 (Flamengo)
• 1940 (Flamengo)
• 1943 (São Paulo)

ZIZINHO'S CLAIMS:

• 1943 (Flamengo)
• 1944 (Flamengo)
• 1949 (Flamengo)
• 1950 (Bangu)

ADEMIR DE MENEZES' CLAIMS:

• 1948 (Vasco da Gama)
• 1949 (Vasco da Gama)
• 1950 (Vasco da Gama)
• 1951 (Vasco da Gama)

JAIR ROSA PINTO'S CLAIM:

• 1951 (Palmeiras)

DIDI'S CLAIMS:

• 1957 (Botafogo)
• 1958 (Botafogo)

 

After that, comes the "Pelé Era", which I won't even waste my time taking about. Between 1958 and 1970, Pelé would have won about 7 Ballon d'Ors and would be a serious contender for a few more. Hors concours.

Still, even during the "Pelé Era", there were some Brazilian players that could lay claim to being the best in the world. Garrincha in 1962 was at the peak of his form and was outstanding at the World Cup, becoming Brazil's main player after Pelé's injury. He led Brazil to its 2nd world title and ended up being the best player of the competition – and was very likely the best player in the world that year.

From 1965 to 1970, there were quite a few Brazilian players that had stupendous performances and formed the backbone of the legendary 1970 Brazil national team. Gérson, Ademir da Guia, Jairzinho and Tostão could all have joined the discussion of world's best player at some point during that period. And many of them kept going at top level until the mid 1970s, along with the likes of Roberto Rivellino, Dirceu Lopes, Paulo Cezar Caju...
During the first half of the 1970's, it is hard to assert that one of them would have been the best player in the world, because they would be competing directy with Johan Cruyff in his prime. But many of them would definitely be in the conversation.

The second half of the 1970s sees the emergence of the new Brazilian super talents: Zico, Falcão, Reinaldo, Sócrates, Cerezo...

Zico was quite obviously the most talented player Brazil had produced since Pelé. In 1974, at 21, he was already named the best player of the Brazilian League and, since then, he was constantly being named amongst the best players in Brazil and in South America. Between 1976 and 1983, Zico would have won at least 2 or 3 Ballon d’Ors, if the award included non-European players. Personally, I think Zico was unquestionably the best player in the world in 1981, 1982 and 1983. And he would have been in the Top 5 or Top 3 in 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980 (varying depending on the year).

Paulo Roberto Falcão was, in general, the second best Brazilian player of that period. Which doesn’t mean he didn’t have seasons in which he was superior to Zico. He had his breakout year in 1975, when he was key to Internacional’s first national title, and he did it again in 1976. In 1978, he was named the best player in the Brazilian League and, again, he was named so in 1979. In 1980, he made his move to AS Roma, where he became known as “The King”. After a period of adaptation, he was already the team’s main player by 1982, when he was also one of the best players at the World Cup for Brazil. In 1983, Falcão was named the best player in the world by the Guerin Sportivo publication, ahead of Zico and Platini. He kept playing at high level until 1984.
I would say Falcão was a serious contender for world’s best player in 1979, 1982 and 1983.

Reinaldo is one of the most tragic cases in the history of Brazilian football. He had a meteoric rise at Atlético Mineiro and was seen as a talent that could seriously rival Zico’s. Unfortunately, like Ronaldo after him, he was cursed with knee injuries that tremendously hindered his performances from a very young age. Even so, he managed to rise quickly and, by 1977, aged 20, he was already the top-scorer in the Brazilian league and arguably the best player in the country. In 1978, he was being called up to play the World Cup for the Brazil national team and would have been a starter for the legendary 1982 side if it weren’t for his injuries. He still managed to shine in 1983 and kept being called up fot the national team up until 1985, even though he was never able to achieve his full potential.
Beast of a striker and Romário’s biggest inspiration and idol to this day. For what he did in 1977, I believe he could have seriously been in the debate for world’s best player at least that year (like Ronaldo was at the same age).

Sócrates is among the most talented players Brazil has ever produced and another case of a Brazilian player that could have gone even further if he had been more focused. He signed with Corinthians in 1978, aged 24, and by 1979 he was already widely regarded as one of the best players in the country, being an integral member of the Brazil national team.
In 1980, he was named the best on his position at the Brazilian Championship, even above Zico, and was among the best 4 or 5 players in the world in 1982-83, when he won 2 Paulista Championships with Corintihans and was named the South American Player of 1983. Unfortunately, by 1984, he had already dropped his level and never managed to get back to his top form.

Toninho Cerezo was one of the best midfielrders in the world from 1976 to 1985. Although it is highly unlikely that he would ever have been named the best player in the world at any point in his career, he could have make it to the Top 5 particularly in 1977 and in 1980, when he had outsanding performances in Brazil that earned him two “Bola de Ouros” by Placar.

 

PELÉ’S CLAIMS:

• almost every year from 1958 to 1970 (Santos)

GARRINCHA’S CLAIM:

• 1962 (Botafogo)

GÉRSON, ADEMIR DA GUIA, JAIRZINHO, TOSTÃO, RIVELLINO, DIRCEU LOPES, PC CAJU’S CLAIMS:

• from 1964 to 1976-77, depending on the year and the player (directly competing against Pelé before 1970 and Cruyff after 1970)

ZICO’S CLAIMS:

• 1976 (Flamengo) – Top 5
• 1977 (Flamengo) – Top 3 or Top 4
• 1979 (Flamengo) – Top 4
• 1980 (Flamengo) – Top 3
• 1981 (Flamengo) – best player in the world
• 1982 (Flamengo) – best player in the world
• 1983 (Flamengo/Udinese) – best player in the world along with Falcão (and above Platini)

FALCÃO’S CLAIMS:

• 1979 (Internacional) – arguably best player in the world (Zico had the highest-scoring season of his career and Keegan had a stupendous year. Maradona was still too young to be #1)
• 1982 (Roma) – best player in the world (head to head with Zico)
• 1983 (Roma) – best player in the world (head to head with Zico and above Platini)

REINALDO’S CLAIM:

• 1977 (Atlético Mineiro)

SÓCRATES’ CLAIM:

• 1982 (Corinthians) – Top 5
• 1983 (Corinthians) – Top 4

CEREZO’S CLAIM:

• 1977 (Atlético Mineiro) – possibly Top 5
• 1980 (Atlético Mineiro) – possibly Top 5

 

Personally, for me, the best player in the world in 1979 was Falcão.

The guy simply led Internacional to a historic undefeated title at the Brazilian League, which remains unprecedented to this day and will very probabbly remain so for decades to come. Not only was he voted the competition's best player (above Zico), but he was voted so for the second consecutive year (1978-79). Besides, he transformed Internacional into the most successful Brazilian club of the 1970s, winning THREE national league titles (the only 3 Brazilian titles the club has ever been able to achieve up to this day) and led them to their first Libertadores Cup final in 1980. He was OUSTANDING at that point.

Zico also had an exceptional year in 1979, scoring nothing less than a total of 89 goals that year for Flamengo and the national team. Which is just INSANE. He won both Carioca Championships that were disputed that year, but I think Flamengo's historic and surprising loss by 4x1 to a much weaker Palmeiras side in a packed Maracanã, which prevented them from moving on to the semifinal of the Brazilian League, is what puts Zico slightly behind Falcão that year. In the most decisive moment of the season, Zico wasn't able to take his team to the next stage. And that has to be taken into account, in my view.

Zico would compete with Keegan for 2nd place in 1979. And I would place a young Maradona, who was just having his breakout season at Argentinos Jrs, slighly behind the 3 of them. It is a very tough year to decide who really was the best player, but I very confidently go with Falcão.
As for 1981, it is not eve debatable that Zico was the best player in the world (above Rummenigge and Maradona). From 1981 to 1983, Zico is undisputedly the best.

Although Rossi and Falcão might have a strong claim for 1982, I would still put Zico on top. And he would go head to head with Falcão again in 1983, but I would give it to him once more (both were superior to Platini, who won NO major title that year and simply CANNOT be put above two players that led their teams to 2 major national titles and were just as outstanding as the Frenchman whilst all of them were playing in Italy).

In 1979:

• 1) Falcão
• 2) Zico or Keegan
• 4) Maradona

In 1980:

• 1) Rummenigge
• 2) Maradona
• 3) Zico
• 4) Schuster or Victorino or Cerezo or Platini (very tight)

In 1981:

• 1) Zico
• 2) Rummenigge
• 3) Maradona
• 4) Júnior
• 5) Breitner

In 1982:

• 1) Zico
• 2) Rossi or Falcão
• 4) Rummenigge
• 5) Sócrates

In 1983:

• 1) Zico
• 2) Falcão
• 3) Platini
• 4) Sócrates

 

Júnior would also be in the Top 5 in 1981.

Probably Top 4, only behind Zico, Rummenigge and Maradona (and up there with Breitner).

The only reason I didn't mention him is because he wouldn't really make it all the way to being the best, like the others.

But you're right: considering I mentioned Cerezo, it would be a similar case for Júnior. He would definitely make it into the world's Top 5 more than once during the 1980s.

NB: previously, Tesourinha could have also been mentioned in the world's Top 5 for his 1949 season, which was outstanding.

 

I wasn't around, but because I'm Brazilian and very much into the history of football, I have easy access to sources and information.

From what I know, Zé Sérgio's prime was from 1977 to 1981. And his ultimate peak year was 1980.

He was among the best left-wingers Brazil had back then, perhaps the best in terms of "pure winger", since he was the fast, dribbling-style kind of winger, that would break defense lines with ease and create chaos on the flanks.

Brazil had many great players on the position from 1977 to 1983: Joãozinho (Cruzeiro), Dirceu Guimarães (Vasco, Atl.Madrid), Éder Aleixo (Grêmio, Atl.Mineiro), João Paulo (Santos), Mário Sérgio (Inter, São Paulo)...

They all had very different styles of play and played different roles on the pitch, althoug playing in the same area, so it usually came down coach's preference as to which one would be called up for the national team. They all had their shot at some point in time during that period of 6-7 years.

I can't say if Zé Sérgio was really THE best player in Brazil in the 1980 season. Probably not, since you had Zico peaking and guys like Sócrates and Falcão. Usually, wingers don't get as much praise as attacking-midfielders or strikers.

He probably had an outstanding season in 1980 and managed to be ranked on top, but that doesn't mean he was THE best player overall in the whole period. A current example of that would be Vinicius Jr, who was named by FIFA the best player of 2024, but that doesn't mean he is the best player in general (I believe Mbappé is clearly a superior player, for example).

But Vinicius had a tremendously exceptional season and was named the best, deservingly so. It doesn't necessarily make him the overall best player of his generation.

 

Tesourinha was smashing it at Internacional already in the early 1940s.

Only problem is that he played for a gaúcho club, from the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Which meant, back then, that he was "far" from the main center of Brazilian footbal, which was completely concentrated in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

So most of the country couldn't really see what he was doing way down South, playing for Inter.

But I have no doubt that he was in his prime all along the 1940s and, in fact, he was regularly being called up for the Brazil national team from 1944 to 1950 (which was something VERY rare for a player performing in the far South to achieve).

He was THAT good.

I would say Tesourinha's prime ranges from 1941 to 1950. Up until the moment he was transferred to Vasco da Gama and suffered the injury that made him lose the place that had been his for years on the national team, right before the World Cup in 1950.

I wouldn't go as far as to say he was superior to Zizinho, Ademir da Menezes and even Jair Rosa Pinto, as a player, overall, but he was definitely up there in the top with them for many years, all along the 1940s.

And I would definitely rank him above Cláudio, Friaça and Eduardo Lima (the main contenders he had for the position during the 2nd half of the 40s). Not just for a few occasional seasons, he was up there for many years in a row and only dropped his level because of injury.

Just the fact that he practically OWNED the national team's right-wing position, even though he had significantly reduced visibility compared to the others, shows how excepcional he was.

 

@msioux75 Another thing is that Tesourinha was a "pure" winger. That was strictly his function on the pitch, the only position in which he played.

The other guys like Friaça, Cláudio and Lima were "all around" players. They could play anywhere up front, in the attack or in the middle, not just on the right-wing.

Tesourinha was a especialist winger. He probably couldn't play anywhere else (similar to Garrincha).

Highly specialized to perform this particular function (which brings advantages and disadvantages).

 

Those are the obvious ones from the last 20-30 years.

Right now, I'm focusing primarily on the ones that performed in the 20th century, when there was less information around and the Ballon d'Or did not include non-Europeans (which prevented Brazilian players from winning the award multiple times).

I will soon bring the list of Brazilians that would be in the debate at some point in their careers from 1985 to 2000 (Careca, Neto, Raí, Bebeto, Romário and Edmundo).

The ones from 2000 onwards are already known to everybody, since most of the best Brazilian players were already performing in Europe.

By then, the elite level was no longer split between Europe and South America and it remains so to this day, when European football concentrates the best talent worldwide.

Before the 2000s, South American football was in the same level as Europeean (and quite often above).

 

If we move on to Top-5s, there will be LOTS of inclusions (the vast majority of them I don't even mention in posts above).

The way I see it, the Brazilian players that were UNDISPUTEDLY the best in the world, right on top at #1, were: Friedenreich, Leônidas, Zizinho, Ademir de Menezes, Didi, Pelé, Garrincha, Zico, Falcão, Romário, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaká.

Those are the ones that UNQUESTIONABLY reached the status of best player in the world at some point in their careers.

So that would be 14 Brazilians: very probably more than any other country in the world throughout history.

Now, if I was to expand it to a Top 5, this list would probably more than double its length.

 

Perhaps Marcelinho could have made it to a Top 5 between 1999-2000, when he was peaking for Corinthians.

Alex de Souza is another serious contender for Top 5 in 2003. And he would probably re-enter the discussion at some point between 2004 and 2008.

Other Top 5 contenders: Neto (1990-91), Raí (1992-93), Bebeto (1989 and 1992-93), Romário (had another peak in 2000).

And Edmundo was the second best player in the world in 1997 (only behind Ronaldo).

 

None of them was superior to Edmundo in 1997.
None of them was even remotely as decisive as him.

To say Romário was above Edmundo in 1997 is LUDICROUS, considering Edmundo gave one of the best performances in the HISTORY of the Brazilian League that year, scoring a stunning amount of TWENTY NINE goals in the competition, leading Vasco da Gama to the title.

Needless to say he was voted Placar's "Bola de Ouro" that year, whilst Romário was shifting from Flamengo to Valencia, doing nothing out of the season excpet for being eliminated by Edmundo's Vasco.

Absolutely NO Brazilian player was superior to Edmundo in 1997, except for Ronaldo (and this is a pretty COMMON SENSE view in the country, up to this day).

You only need to know the BASICS of Brazilian football to know this. It doesn't take much.

 

In the second half of the 1980s, after the "Zico-Falcão-Sócrates" era, Brazil goes through a period that might be considered a "drought" for a few years, in terms of "superplayers".
The country was still producing a lot of talent, as always, but not to the point where it had a player that could truly be considered the best in the world, challenging Maradona for the throne.

The great Brazilian player of that period was unquestionably Careca, who peaked in São Paulo and Napoli from 1985 to 1990. He’d already had his breakout season in 1978, at only 17, when he was absolutely decisive for Guarani to become Champion of Brazil, which stunned the country. By 1982, he was being consistently called up for the Brazil national team and was part of the legendary World Cup squad that year until he suffered an injury only 4 days before the start of the competition and ended up missing it.
In 1986, he was already widely regarded as the best player in Brazil, being a starter for the national team at the World Cup, and kept his status for the next World Cup, in 1990. Overall, he was the best Brazil had to offer then, until he was surpassed by Bebeto and, most of all, by Romário in the early 1990s.
His greatest year was probably 1986, when he was the top-scorer and named best player of the Brazilian League. But he was world class all along the 1985-90 period, when he was also among the top-scorers of the powerful Italian League for many seasons, playing alongside Maradona at Napoli.

During the first half of the 1990s, a few Brazilian players could have entered the debate

Bebeto had already had a terrific year in 1989, when we was named the South American player of the season after great performances with the Brazil national team at the Copa América and the Brazilian title with Vasco da Gama. In the early 1990's, he was peaking, being the top-scorer of the 1992 Brasileirão and the top-scorer of the 1992-93 Spanish League, playing for Deportivo La Coruña, where he became an idol. In 1994, of course, he shined with Brazil becoming world champion as a key-player for the squad.
If he didn't get to the point of being the best in the world during that period, he came very close to it.

In 1992 and 1993, Raí was also peaking at São Paulo, leading the team to 2 consecutive Libertadores titles. He had already managed to be named for a "Bola de Prata" in 1989 and, by 1992, he was being named the best player in South America. At the Intercontinental Cup, in December 92, he was again the team's main player and man of the match, scoring the 2 goals that gave the title to São Paulo over a Barcelona side that had Koeman, Guardiola, Laudrup, Stoichkov and was managed by Cruyff.
I would say that, in 1992, Raí had enougt to be AT LEAST one of the Top 4 players in world football.
After leaving São Paulo in 1993, he went on to become one of PSG's all-time greats, playing as the team's captain until 1998.

In the very begining of the 1990’s, there is a case for Neto being among the best in the world. Probably the least internationally recognized player to make the list, he was practically unanimously the best player in Brazil between mid-1990 and 1991, when he led a modest Corinthians side to its first official Brazilian Championship title, putting an end to a drought of nationally-relevant titles that haunted the country’s second largest fanbase since the mid-1950s. Neto’s performance at the 1990 Brasileirão is one of the best in the history of Brazilian football, to the point where it could elevate him to a discussion amongst the best in the world that year.
It is no exageration: up to this day, Neto is granted by public and critics in Brazil for winning that title for Corinthians “by himself”, practically “on his own”. It was a major achievement for an excellent player.

Romário's place as the best player in the world in 1993-94 is pretty obvious. Most people know about it, so I won't waste time writing about. What many people don't know is that Romário was already shining at Vasco da Gama by 1987, when he started being called up for the national team.
One of the greatest strikers in the history of the sport, he was already seen as one of the best on the position worldwide by 1988, until he became unquestionably the best of all footballers in 1994.
After his return to Brazil, in 1995, he kept playing at a very high level, being top-scorer in the country for many seasons up until 2005. In 2000, he was named the best player of the Brazilian Championship and the South American player of the year.

The case for Edmundo in 1997 is one of the most well-known in Brazil. Every football fan in the country knows how legendary Edmundo's performance was that year. He was already shining in Brazil since 1992, in his very first professional year, when he was already called up for the Brazil national team. In 1993-94, he became an idol at Palmeiras, being one of the key players on the historic squad that won 2 consecutive Brasileirão and Paulista titles, as well as a Rio-São Paulo Tournament.
But it was in 1997 that he reached his absolute peak, scoring nothing less than 29 goals in the Brazilian League, leading Vasco da Gama to the title and being named the top player of the competition. In 1998, he was part of the Brazil squad that reached the World Cup final and many claim he should have been a starter for the team in Bebeto's place. He kept playing at a high level until 2000, before leaving to Japan.

 

Please, don't embarass yourself bringing up the Carioca Championship when Edmundo became the top-scorer in the HISTORY of ANY edition of the Brazilian League that year and was named the competition's top player.

You'd be LAUGHED at on the streets of Brazil claiming anybody but Ronaldo was superior to Edmundo in 1997. It is THAT obvious.

Just spare yourself, mate.

Because Romário was THE big star of Brazil after winning the 1994 World Cup and would be on the team practically automatically at that point. And Edmundo's top performance came in the Brazilian Championship, which started in July – AFTER the Copa América that was disputed in June.

Besides... don't you understand how RIDICULOUS your point is based solely on manager's preference to start games for the national team?

When was that EVER the most reliable way to analyze football?

Ridiculous.

Romário had an IRREGULAR year in 1997, moving from Flamengo to Valencia in the middle of the season (late July) and not doing anything back in Spain that year.

His season was basically cut in half. His second semester was absolutely WEAK.

I'll repeat: in Brazil, it is not even DEBATABLE who was superior that year. It is pretty OBVIOUS.

 

Romário was starting for Brazil regularly throughout that period not only because he was obviously a world-class ELITE player, but he was also, by far, the country’s most popular player.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that he automatically had the best season every year.

Edmundo’s 1997 season was UNQUESTIONABLY superior (and Romário’s 1997 run at Valencia was practically NON-EXISTENT).