Brazil Greatest All-Time Team before 1958
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| Brazil World Cup 1938 Finals |
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Sao Paulo State, Rio de Janeiro
North/Northeastern Brazil, South/Southeastern Brazil
Brazilian-born players capped by other national teams
Afro-Brazlian Players
Brazil All-Time Team After Pele
Brazil All-Team Under Mari Zagallo
This is my selection of a 23 member all-time Brazil team before 1958. The number 23 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the World Cup Finals.
Brazil was not known to be the greatest football nation until the emerge of Pele. However, Brazil had many talented players before their first World Cup victory in 1958. Leônidas da Silva dazed the crowd in the World Cup Finals of 1938 while Domingos Da Gua is still considered to be Brazil's greatest defender. In 1950, Brazil had one of its greatest team, but only failed at the "Maracanazo". Zizinho, Jair and Ademir were known as one of the greatest forward line in Brazil's history.
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| Brazil 1950 World Cup Finals |
GK: Moacir Barbosa
Barbosa was one of the greatest keepers in Brazil's history, but he was, however, associated with Brazil's loss to Uruguay in 1950. He played mainly for Vasco Da Gama.
GK: Carlos Jose Castilho
Carlos Jose Castilho went to 4 World Cup Finals, but only played in 1954. He had a reputation for being lucky, earning the nickname "Leiteira". He played over 695 games for Fluminense.
GK: Jaguaré
When playing with CR Vasco da Gama, he won the championship of Rio de Janeiro. He also played for FC Barcelona, Sporting CP and SC Corinthians Paulista. The most successful period of his career was in the 1930s with the French club Olympique Marseille. In Brazil, he is also considered to be the person who popularised the use of gloves by goalkeepers.
CB/RB: Augusto da Costa
He captained the Brazil team to the 1950 FIFA World Cup final leading them to become the runners-up of the tournament after losing to Uruguay. He was born in Rio de Janeiro. He started his career in 1936, with São Cristóvão, leaving the club in 1944. In 1945 he joined Vasco, retiring in 1954. He played 20 games for the Brazilian national team and scored one goal.
CB: Pinheiro
Pinheiro held the second highest appearance record for Fluminense. He was involved with over 600 games. Pinheiro was Rio de Janeiro's champion in 1951 and 1959, Rio's 1952 Cup, Rio-São Paulo Tourney in 1957 and 1960, as well as several other lesser-known titles. Before Fluminese, he played for Americano. At the club, he played for many position, including goalkeeper. He earned 17 caps, attending the WC Finals in 1954.
SW/CB: Domingos da Guia
The star defender of the 1940's who was among the first skilled defender to play the game. He played for several clubs, but notably with Flamengo and Corinthians, and aboard with Boca Juniors. He had 30 caps. He was a star at the 1938 WC Finals in France.
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| Domingos Da Guia |
Juvenal Amarijo started his career with Cruzeiro-RS, joining Flamengo in 1949, then Palmeiras in 1951, moving to Bahia in 1954 then retiring in 1959 while playing with Ypirnga-BA. He played for the Brazil in the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Juvenal lost his money after retiring from playing and was living in poverty. He died on October 30, 2009, at to age 85, in the city of Salvador, in Bahia, Brazil, due to respiratory failure.
CB/LB: Del Debbio
Del Debbio started his career playing for São Bento in 1919, leaving the club in 1921, to join Corinthians, where he stayed until 1931. During his stint at Corinthians, he won the Campeonato Paulista in 1922, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1929 and 1930. He joined Lazio of Italy in 1931, leaving the club in 1935 to play again for Corinthians, where he won again the Campeonato Paulista in 1937. He returned to Corinthians in 1939, winning the Campeonato Paulista and retiring during that year.
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.
DM: Bauer
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: Danilo Alvim
Danilo Alvim is considered one of he greatest defensive midfielder in Brazil's history. He played on the ill-fated 1950 team. For his club career, he was a part of Vasco da Gama's legendary "the Victory Express" team. He also played for America.
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| Danilo Alvim |
Ely do Amparo started his career with América, in 1939. He joined Canto do Rio in 1940, leaving the club in 1945 to join Vasco. Ely, as part of Vasco's Expresso da Vitória squad, won the Campeonato Carioca in 1945, 1947, 1949, 1950 and in 1952, winning the South American Club Championship in 1948 as well. Ely do Amparo was transferred to Sport in 1953, winning the Campeonato Pernambucano in that year and in 1955, when he retired. He went to the WC Finals in 1950 and 1954.
CM/DM: Fausto dos Santos
He was considered one of the best defensive midfielders of Vasco da Gama of the first half of past century. At the time, he and Jaguaré, another famous player at this era, was attempted to be loan to Barcelona. Popularly known as "Fausto, The Wonder Black" he was a pioneer to vindicate labor laws to footballers since the professionalization of Brazilian football in the beginning of the 1930s. He also played for other clubs, such as Bangu, Nacional of Montevideo and Flamengo.
FW/RW: Tesourinha
FW/RW: Tesourinha
Tesourinha joined 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 the great Brazilian WC team, but an injury kept him out of the Finals.
Chico started with Gremio, but joined Vasco de Gama, where he was a member of the famous "Victory Express" team. In 1950 FIFA World Cup, he played four games and scored four goals. He played in the famous game with Uruguay, which Brazil lost, known as "Maracanazo".
He played for the following clubs: Ypiranga-SP, Fluminense, Palmeiras, Botafogo, Juventus, Paulista and Rosario Central (Argentina). He earned 21 caps (3 non-official) and scored 9 goals (4 non-official) for the Brazil's Seleção, and was part of the team at the 1950 FIFA World Cup and the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
AM: Ademir
Ademir formed a great attacking trio with Zizinho and Jair at the ill-fated WC Finals in 1950. He won the Golden Boot at the tournament. For club football, he had two spells each with Sport Recife and Vasco da Gama. He also had one spell with Fluminense.
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| Ademir |
AM/FW: Jair de Rosa Pinto
Jair was a member of the great offensive trio for Brazil at the World Cup in 1950. The other two were Zizinho and Ademir. He played for Flamengo and Vasco da Gama before the WC in 1950. After the WC Finals, he played mainly for clubs in Sao Paulo. For the national team, he only made two cameo appearances two years after the ill-fated World Cup Finals.
AM: Zizinho
Pele's idol. The greatest Brazilian player before the 1960's. The star of the WC in 1950. He played for Flamengo, Bangu, São Paulo FC, Audax Italiano of Chile among others teams. With, Flamengo, he won state championships in 1942, 1943 and 1944.
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| Zizinho |
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 |
The striker spent most of his career with Botafogo, scoring 209 goals for the club, most with his head. In 1948 he transferred to Boca Juniors in Argentina, but returned to Brazil the following year, winning the 1949 Campeonato Carioca with Vasco. He ended his career with América in Rio, after a very short stint at Santos. He scored 19 goals in 18 appearances for Brazil as the team finished runners-up in both the 1945 and 1946 Copa America championships. He was joint top goalscorer in the 1945 tournament.
ST: Heitor
He was one of the most important players in the history of Palmeiras, being their greatest goalscorer of the team. He began his career in 1916, becoming the first idol of the club. In São Paulo, Heitor was a rival of Arthur Friedenreich, but together, they formed a great pair for the national team, notably in the South American championship of 1919. He was also a star basketball player.
ST: Arthur Friedenreich
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
Roberto Belangero, Agostinho Fortes Filho, Tim, Romeu Pellicciari, Adãozinho, Friaça, Hércules de Miranda, José Perácio, Cláudio, Niginho, Índio, Teleco, Neco, Nena, Brandãozinho, Airton Pavolhao, Baltazar, Pinga, Martín Mercío Silveyra.
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| Tesourinha, Zizinho , Heleno, Jair and Ademir |
Squad Explanation
-- Most football teams played without fullbacks until after the war. It is difficult to find suitable fullbacks.
-- Júlio Botelho only went to the 1954 World Cup Finals, but he continued to be capped by Brazil after 1958.
-- Canhoteiro also capped after 1958.
-- Canário's last cap was in 1956, but he was born in 1934. He was still in his prime after 1958. While he was eligible in terms of representing Brazil before 1958, he probably would be considered a generation after 1958. Luizinho was also 28 years in 1958. His last cap was 1957.
-- I do not know much about Niginho, but his story was interesting.
Formation
The formation is based upon the lineup of the 1950 World Cup team.
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