Sport Club Internacional Greatest All-Time Team

2010 Copa Libertadores

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.

Sport Club Internacional is ranked first in Americas and sixth in the World in number of paying members, with more than 104,000. Internacional won Copa Libertadores titles twice: 2006 and 2010.  In 2006, they also the FIFA Club World Cup, defeating European champions Barcelona in the latter and South American reigning champions São Paulo in the former. Other international titles include the 2007 Recopa Sudamericana, the 2008 Copa Sudamericana and the 2011 Recopa Sudamericana.  Perhaps no other time is remembered with more affection and longing by the Internacional supporters than the victorious Seventies. In that decade, Inter became the most successful club in Rio Grande do Sul and in Brazil. 

2006 World Club Cup

Team
GK: Claudio Taffarel
Taffarel earned over 100 caps.  He was the starting goalkeeper for the WC 1994 winning team. During an 18-year career, he played professionally for six clubs, including Parma, Internacional, Atlético Mineiro and Galatasaray. He won an UEFA Cup with Galatasaray.

GK: Manga  (Brazil)
He was the starting keeper for the legendary Botafogo side that also featured Garrincha, and also for winning the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup in 1971 with the extraordinary Nacional of Cubilla and Artime..  He went to the World Cup in 1966.

Manga

GK: Clemer (Brazil) 
Clemer played for several Brazilian clubs, but his most important stints were with Portuguesa, Flamengo and International. With Inter, he won Copa Libertadores and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2006.

RB: Paulinho (Brazil) 
At Internacional, Paulinho was known as "Captain Piranha" for his leadership.  He won three Campeonato Gaucho between 1951 to 1953.  He moved to Vasco De Gama and played there for 9 seasons between two stints. He spent one year playing for River Plate. He was the backup rightback at the World Cup Finals in 1954.

RB: Claudio Duarte (Brazil)
Duarte played his entire career with Internacional. He was a member of the club's great side of the 1970's.  He won two Campeonato Brasileiro Série A titles: 1975 and 1976, and Campeonato Gaúcho 6 times. 

SW:  Elias Figueroa (Chile)
Elias Figueroa was one of the greatest defenders in South American history.  He was named the Brazilian Player of the year award whilst playing for Internacional in 1972 and 1976. He was also awarded the South American Footballer of the Year three times in a row. He played for several clubs during his long career, notably his hometown club Santiago Wanderers, Brazilian club Internacional and Uruguayan club Peñarol. He also represented Chile 47 times, appearing in three world cups, in 1966, 1974, and 1982.

Elias Figueroa 

CB: Nena (Brazil)
From 1940 to 1949 the defender played with SC Internacional in Porto Alegre and won with the club eight state championships. In 1949 he moved to Portuguesa with which he won the Torneio Rio-São Paulo of 1952 and 1955. In the 1960s he worked as youth coach with SC Corinthians Paulista. Between 1847 and 1952 he played five times for the Brazilian national team. He was also part of the Brazilian roster of the 1950 World Cup where Brazil finished as runner up, but did not get to play.

CB: Mauro Galvão (Brazil)
In Brazil, Galvão played for Sport Club Internacional, Bangu Atlético Clube, Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense (two spells) and CR Vasco da Gama. In 1990–91 he moved to FC Lugano in Switzerland, where he would remain for the following six seasons.  He was capped 24 times.  He was an unused sub in Mexico, but he played 4 games in the 1990 World Cup Finals.  He helped Brazil to win the Copa America in 1989.

CB: Indio (Brazil)
Indio played most of his career with Internacional. He was on both of their Copa Libertadores' winnning teams(2006 and 2010).  He was also one of the club's most dedicated player.  He was a fan favourite while at the club.

Indio

LB: Oreco (Brazil)
Oreco began his career at the Santa Maria, where he played for a year. He then played for Internacional of Porto Alegre, for which he played for seven years and won five Rio de Janeiro championships in that period. He was also a Corinthians player for eight years.  he won the 1958 World Cup as Nilton Santos' backup.

LB: Abigail (Brazil) 
Abigail began his career with Força e Luz football Club of Porto Alegre club that are obsolete today. In February 1942, at the age of twenty years, he was signed by Internacional where he was part of the legendary "Scroll Compressor" Colorado (considered by some critics as the greatest team that existed in Rio Grande do Sul).

DM: Dunga (Brazil)
Dunga's bluecollar and defensive style of football symbolized a new era in Brazil's football.  This period in Brazil's football history was called "Era Dunga", as according to fans and journalists. He played 91 times for Brazil.  He was the captain of Brazil's World Cup winning team in 1994. He also went to Italia 1990 and France 1998.  For domestic football, he played in Brazil, Japan, Italy and Germany in his career.

Dunga

DM: Caçapava (Brazil)
He began at CE Gaúcho de Caçapava do Sul and went to the Internacional de Porto Alegre in 1972, where he won Brasileiro in 1975 and 1976. He was also a Gaucho Champion for Inter in 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1978. In 1979, he transferred to Corinthians of São Paulo where he won Paulista in the same year. He also played in Palmeiras, Vila Nova de Goiás and Ceará. In 1984 and returned to Rio Grande do Sul to play in Novo Hamburgo, and retired in Fortaleza, Ceará in 1987.

DM: Batista (Brazil) 
Bastista began his career with Internacional, where he won 3 Brasileiros e 4 Campeonatos Gaúchos.  In 1981, he moved to rival, Gremio. He also played for Palmeiras before heading to Europe. He would play for Lazio and Belenenses.  He was capped 38 times for Brazil.  He started all matches at the WC Finals in 1978, but was used as a sub in 1982.  Famously remembered being fouled by Diego Maradona in the 2nd round that led to Maradona's red card.

CM: Falcao
At one stage, Falcao was the world's highest paid footballer.  He played with Internacional at home before becoming the star of Roma in the 1980's.  He won Serie A in 1982-83 and Roma had to wait 17 years for the next title after that.  In 1985, he returned home and played for Sao Paulo. For the national team, he was left out of the World Cup team in Argentina, but four years later, he was a key player for the fantastic Brazilian of Spain 1982.  He won the Silver Ball as the best Brazilian playing in Spain. He also went to the World Cup Finals in 1986.

Falcao

CM: Paulo César Capergiani (Brazil)
Carpegiani began his professional career at Sport Club Internacional of Porto Alegre, in the Rio Grande do Sul, where he played from 1970 to 1977, winning two Brazilian Championships (1975 and 1976). Carpegiani also played for Flamengo (1977–1980), winning the Brazilian Championship in 1980.  He was capped 30 times and went to the WC Finals in 1974.

AM: Andrés D'Alessandro (Argentina)
He was a youth product of River Plate.  He won the 2001–02 and 2002–03 Primera División titles with them before heading to Europe in 2003. He played with Wolvesburg, Portsmouth and Zaragoza before returning to South America, first with San Lorzenzo and then, Internaconal. In Brazil, he became one of the club's biggest stars.  In 2010, D'Alessandro led Internacional to their second Libertadores Championship, and was elected the best player in South America for that year.  He was capped 28 times.

Andrés D'Alessandro 

FW: Claudiomiro (Brazil)
Claudiomiro played for several Série A clubs.  He won the Campeonato Gaúcho six times with Internacional.  However, injury problems led him to leave the club.  In 1975, he joined Botafogo-RJ. The following year, he went to Flamengo-RJ, where he remained until 1977.  Earned 6 caps.

FW/RW: Tesourinha (Brazil)
Tesourinha jpined Internacional in 1939, where he was known to be a member of the club's famous "Rolo Compressor" team of the 1940's. In 1949, he was transferred to Vasco De Gama.  He was a part of the legendary "Expresso da Vitória" at the club.  In 1952, he joined Grêmio, becoming the first black player  in history to play for the club.  For Seleção Brasileira, he was capped 23 times. He participated in 3 South American Championship.  He was chosen as the best player for the 1945 version.  In 1950, he was projected to start for great Brazilian WC team, but an injury kept him out of the Finals.

ST: Larry (Brazil)
He began his career at Fluminense Football Club where he played from 1951 to 1954, and champion of Campeonato Carioca in 1951 and the Copa Rio (International) in 1952, that year he was also the top scorer of the Brazilian team in the 1952 Summer Olympics, when he scored four goals in three games. With Bodinho he formed the most invaluable double striker attack of Internacional.

ST: Bodinho (Brazil) 
Known for his header, Bodinho joined International in 1950, where he joined a great offensive partnership with Larry.  He won Campeonatos Gaúchos. He also played for Flamengo.  He played 5 times for Brazil.

ST: Escurinho (Brazil)
He played for Internacional from 1970 to 1977. He won two Campeonato Brasileiro Série A titles: 1975 and 1976, and Campeonato Gaúcho seven times.  He also played for Palmeiras.  He was also a musician, recording a Samba record while he was an active player.

Escurinho 

ST: Carlitos (Brazil)
With Tesourinha and Adãozinho formed most invaluable three striker attack of the 1940s, a team known as the "Rolo Compressor".  He played entire career (1938–1951) at Sport Club Internacional, and scored 485 goals. He is still to this date the top scorer in the club history. He won ten Campeonato Gaúcho, eight consecutive (1940–48, 1950 and 1951). 


ST: Valdomiro (Brazil)
Valdomiro was best remembered for playing the great Internacional side of the 1970's, playing alongside Falcão, Carpegiani and Figueroa.  For Brazil, he went to the 1974 WC Finals and remembered for scoring the goal against Zaire in the first round.

ST: Fernandão (Brazil)
He started his career with Goiás of Goiânia before moving to Marseille in 2001.  He returned to Brazil to play for Internacional in 2004.  In 2006, Fernandão led Sport Club Internacional to win the Copa Libertadores for the first time ever. Fernandão was a joint top scorer of the competition and was voted man of the Match in the final against São Paulo.  He also skippered the club to win the FIFA Club World Cup in the following December. He was capped once.

Fernandão 

Honorable Mention
Bolivar, Luiz Carlos Winck, Pablio Guinazu, Dorinho, Dario, Lula, Milton Ramos Vergara, Bráulio, André Döring, Gainete, José Villalb, Edinho Campos, Adãozinho, Salvador.

Squad Explanation 
-- For rightback, Paulinho was known for his leadership.  Claudio Duarte played his entire career with the club. He won many titles for the club. I have to leave out Luiz Carlos Winck. 
-- By name recognition, Carlos Gamarra is probably the second most famous centerback who played here.  However, he only spent a short time with the Reds.  His exclusion for this team is somewhat controversial, I admitted. 
-- Fernardao was the hero of Copa Libertadores in 2006 and skipped the team as they beat Barcelona for the World Club Cup. Up until that point, it was the club's two biggest trophies.

Formation