Sao Paulo FC Greatest All-Time Team
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| Copa Libertadores 1992 |
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.
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| World Club Cup 2005 |
Team
GK: Rogerio Ceni (Brazil)
Roger Ceni is known as the goalkeeper who scored a lot of goals. He is recognized as the highest scorer in history for a keeper. He is a long-term keeper for Sao Paulo. He went to two WC Finals as a backup.
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| Roger Ceni |
GK: Waldir Peres (Brazil)
He played over 600 games for Sao Paulo. He was capped 30 times for Brazil, between October 1975 and July 1982; he was a member of the Brazilian national team during the World Cup 1974, 1978 and 1982. He played five games at the World Cup 1982.
GK: Zetti (Brazil)
Zetti played with São Paulo from 1990 to 1996. Arguably one of the most successful goalkeepers in the clubs history he won 1 Brazilian championship, 2 Copas Libertadores and 2 Intercontinental Cups during this period. Other clubs played for include Guarani, Toledo, Londrina, Palmeiras, Santos, Fluminense and Sport. Capped 17 times. He was a backup keeper at USA 1994.
RB: Cafu (Brazil)
Cafu is the all-time cap record holder for Brazil. He is the only man to play in three WC Finals, winning in 1994 and 2002. He was the captain of the national team as they won the World Cup in 2002. He played with Sao Paulo, Roma and AC Milan. He was South American Player of the Year in 1994.
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| Cafu |
De Sordi earned 22 caps for the Brazil national football team. He was part of the 1958 FIFA World Cup winning squad, and played in all matches except the final. During his club career he played for XV de Piracicaba-SP and São Paulo. He played over 500 games for Sao Paulo.
CB: Oscar (Brazil)
Oscar was the starting cneterbacks at the WC in 1978 and 1982, and went as a reserve player in 1986. He played for Atlética Ponte Preta, Sao Paulo and NY Cosmos.
CB: Darío Pereyra (Uruguay)
Darío Pereyra was one of the best center-backs ever to play in the Brazilian league. He was best remembered for his career with Sao Paulo between 1977 and 1988. He was also at one point the second most expensive player in the league. Darío Pereyra started his career at the Nacional de Montevideo and debuted at the Uruguay national squad when he was only 18, becoming the captain of the national team at 19.
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| Darío Pereyra |
CB: Roberto Dias (Brazil)
While playing for Sao Paulo, Roberto Dias was considered a rival respected by Pele. Pele considered him one of the best center-backs in Brazil. He was capped 27 times for the Seleção, but never went to the World Cup Finals.
CB: Mauro Ramos (Brazil)
Mauro was capped 22 times. He went to both 1954 and 1958 World Cup Finals without playing a game, but in 1962, he lifted the WC trophy as Brazil's captain. He played for Santos and Sao Paulo. At Santos, he was a part of Pele's great Santos team.
LB: Noronha (Brazil)
Noronha played for Grêmio, Vasco da Gama, São Paulo and Portuguesa. With Sao Paulo, he formed a great team with Rui Campos and Bauer. He was a member of the 1950 World Cup.
LB: Leonardo (Brazil)
Throughout his club career, he played for Flamengo, São Paulo, Kashima Antlers, Valencia, PSG and Milan. He won the prestigious Copa Libertadores and International Cup with Sao Paulo. At Milan, he became an international star during the 1990's. He was capped 55 times. He went to USA 1994, but was suspended after elbowing Tab Ramos in the quarterfinal. He also played in France 1998.
DM: Bauer (Brazil)
Bauer was a member of Brazil's World Cup team in 1950 and 1954. He played mainly for Sao Paulo and Botafago. He was known as the coach who discovered Eusebio in Mozambique.
DM: Toninho Cerezo (Brazil)
Throughout his career, Cerezo played as a defensive midfielder with Atlético Mineiro, Roma, Sampdoria, São Paulo and the Brazilian national team. He was a legend at Atlético Mineiro. With São Paulo FC, he was the two-times winner of the Intercontinental Cup and Copa Libertadores. He went to Argentina 1978 and Spain 1982. During his time in Italy, Cerezo won the Coppa Italia four times; in 1991 he won the Serie A with Sampdoria, but lost the Coppa Italia final to A.S. Roma.
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| Toninho Cerezo |
CM: Antonio Sastre (Argentina)
Sastre played most of his career for Club Atlético Independiente and São Paulo of Brazil. He is one of the 24 players inducted into the Argentine Football Association Hall of Fame. Sastre was an all-round midfielder who could play well almost anywhere on the pitch due to his intelligence and versatility.
CM: Gerson (Brazil)
He was the central midfielder for Brazil in the 1970 World Cup Finals. He is considered one of Brazil's best ever passers. He played on the legendary Botafogo's team of in the 1960's with Garrincha. While at the club, he played with Didi and became his understudy, in which he would inherit the position on the Seleção.
AM: Rai (Brazil)
Rai is the younger brother of Socrates. He was a member of the 1994 WC winning team. he was originally the captain of the squad, but a loss of form during the Finals limited him to a substitute. He enjoyed a successful career with Paris St.Germain, where he was widely considered the best player in the French league. He helped them to win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996. He was also a key player for Sao Paulo.
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| Rai |
LW/SS: Pedro Rocha (Uruguay)
Pedro Rocha won 8 Uruguayan league titles and 3 Copa Libertadores with Penarol from 1959 to 1970. He moved to São Paulo in 1970. He spent 7 successful seasons with the club. He was the league's top scorer in 1972. For the national team, he is the only player to appear in four consecutive World Cups for the Uruguay national football team: 1962, 1966, 1970 and 1974. He also played in the Copa América in 1967.
LM: Canhoteiro (Brazil)
His name literally mean "the left-footed". He also earned the nickname "the Garrincha of the Left". He was known for hos dribbling skills. For his club career, he played with Sao Paulo and was remembered for his battles with Pele's Santos in the 1960's.
AM/CM: Kaka (Brazil)
Kaka started his career with Sao Paulo in Brazil before moving to AC Milan in 2003. He was the star player who helped Milan to win the Champions' League in 2007 and he himself won he Ballon d'or the same year. In 2009, he left Milan for Real Madrid. For Brazil, he was capped 92 times. He was a young and seldom used player at the WC in 2002. He was a key player after the WC Finals in 2002.
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| Kaka |
FW: Leônidas da Silva (Brazil)
The player known as "Black Diamond" was credited to be the inventor of "Bicycle Kick". He played in two WC Finals: 1934 and 1938. He was the top scorer at the WC in 1938. He played for a number of clubs in Brazil and Penarol. His longest spells were with Vasco Da Gama and Sao Paulo.
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| Leônidas da Silva |
ST: Muller (Brazil)
Muller is one of São Paulo's all-time leading scorers with 158 goals. With the club he won the Intercontinental Cup in 1993 as he scored the third goal against AC Milan in Tokyo. He capped 56 times with Brazil. He participated in the 1986, 1990, and 1994 editions of the FIFA World Cup, and was part of the 1994 champion Brazil squad.
ST: Serginho Chulapa (Brazil)
Serginho was capped 20 times between May 1979 and July 1982, and participated at 1982 FIFA World Cup, where he played in all five matches and scored two goals. Sadly, he was blamed for Brazil's exit at the tournament. He played for Marília, São Paulo Futebol Clube, Santos, Corinthians, Marítimo (Portugal), Atlético Sorocaba, Portuguesa Santista, Malatyaspor and São Caetano. Serginho won the Campeonato Paulista three times and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A once with São Paulo and won the Paulista again with Santos
ST: Luis Fabiano (Brazil)
Luís Fabiano is a prolific goalscorer and was ranked the second-highest-scoring Brazilian of the 21st century. He played for many clubs around the world. He won two UEFA Cups while playing for Sevilla. He was capped 45 times. He was the starting striker at the 2010 WC Finals.
ST: Careca (Brazil)
Careca supposed to be the starting striker of the star-studded 1982 World Cup team, but he missed the Finals with an injury. Instead, he starred at the 1986 WC Finals in Mexico. He finsished second in scoring with 5 goals. He also played in Italian 1990. For club career, he was remembered for playing with Napoli as a teammate of Diego Maradona.
ST: Arthur Friedenreich (Brazil)
The "Tiger" was the first Afro-Brazilian professional players in Brazil. He was also one of the first star players from Brazil. He did not attend the first World Cup Finals in 1930 because only players from Rio traveled to Uruguay.
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| Arthur Friedenreich |
Honorable Mention
King(Nivacir Innocencio Fernandes), Jose Poy, Serginho dos Santos, Nelsinho, Ricardo Rocha, Bellini, Diego Lugano, Ruy Campos, Cicinho, Pablo Forlan, Alfredo Ramos, Chicão, Dino Sani, Mineiro, Hernanes, Pita, Gerson, Bene, Zizinho, Teixeirinha, França, Luizinho, Maurinho, Zé Sérgio, Gino.
Squad Explanation
-- Jose Poy appeared in many lists among Sao Paulo's greatest keepers.
-- Zizinho's prime was not with Sao Paulo.
-- Kaka is a surprise selection. He left the team when he was still young.
-- Muller, Serginho Chulapa and Luis Fabiano scored many goals for the club. Careca was Bola de Ouro winner while playing for the club. So I left out Zé Sérgio and Gino Orlando. They almost made the squad.
-- Bellini and Diego Lugano were left out because of too many great players.
Formation
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