Brazil Greatest All-Time Team Under Mário Zagallo

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Brazil All-Time Team
 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-Time Team before 1958
 
This is my selection of a 23 member all-time Brazil team under Mario Zagallo.  The number 23 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the World Cup Finals.

No Brazilian has a greater impact on Brazil's World Cup wining teams than Mário Zagallo.  He was associated with Brazil's first four World Cup winning teams.  He was a player on the 1958 and 1962 team, and was the manager on the 1970 team.  In 1994, he served as an assistant manager when Brazil won its fourth World Cup Finals.  This is a selection of players who played under him for Brazil.  I am excluding the players who played under him as an assistant manager.

Brazil 1970

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: Emerson Leao 
He won a World Cup in Mexico 1970 as the backup keeper.  He started at West Germany 1974 and Argentina 1978.  At the club level, he played for several clubs, his longest term being at Palmeiras.

GK: Felix 
He played goalkeeper for  Atlético Juventus and Associação Portuguesa de Desportos and Fluminense. With Fluminense, he won won Campeonato Carioca: 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976.  He has 47 caps with the Brazilian Seleção.  He was known for being the starting keeper for the 1970 World Cup-winning squad.

RB: Carlos Alberto
Carlos Alberto was one of the greatest fullback ever played the game. He was the captain of the 1970 team in Mexico.  His goal in the Final was considered one of the greatest goals in the history of the tournament. He missed the WC in 1974 through an injury.  He played with Pele both at Santos and NY Cosmos. He had 53 caps for Brazil.

Mario Zagallo with Carlos Alberto World Cup 1970

RB: Cafu 
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.  

CB: Brito 
Brito was best remembered as a part of Brazil's great World Cup team in 1970.  He played over 10 years with Vasco De Gama. He also played for Internacional, Flamengo, Cruzeiro, Botafogo, Corinthians, Atlético Paranaense and River-PI.

CB: Aldair 
Aldair played for Flamengo before heading to Europe.  He started with Benfica, but he was widely remembered for his 13 seasons with Roma.  The club retired his #6 jersey for 10 seasons.  For the national team, he had 80 caps.  He was a key member of the great defensive unit of the World Cup winning team in 1994.   In addition, he also played in the World Cup Finals 1990 and 1998.

CB/DM: Wilson Piazza 
Piazza almost spent his entire career with Cruzeiro.  He was the greatest captain in the history of Cruzeiro. He helped the club to win the Copa Libertadores in 1976.    For the national team, he won 59 caps.  He was the starting centerback for the 1970 WC winning team.  He also went to the WC Finals in 1974.

CB: Luis Pereira
Luis Pereira was widely considered to be the best central back in the Seleção's history. He was capped over 30 times and played in World Cup in 1974. He played 562 games with S.E. Palmeiras (34 goals) and 171 games with Atlético Madrid (17 goals).

LB: Roberto Carlos
He was regarded one of the best leftbacks in history.  He had 125 caps for Brazil playing in three WC Finals. He won 3 Champions League titles with Real Madrid and one WC title with Brazil in 2002.  In 1997 he was runner-up in the FIFA World Player of the Year.  He is especially famous for a free kick from 35m out against France in the  Tournoi de France 1997. The goal is considered one of the greatest goals ever scored.

Roberto Carlos

LB: Marinho Chagas 
Marinho Chagas was a top leftback during the 1970's and was known as being a right-footed leftback.  He played for many clubs in Brazil, USA and Germany.  His longest stint was with Botafago, which lasted 4 years.  He played with Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto for NY Cosmos. 

DM: Dunga
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.

DM: Clodoaldo 

He was a member of Pele's Santos.  He is best remembered for being the defensive midfielder of the 1970 WC Team in Mexico.  At the Final, he contributed to Carlos Alberto's famous goal against Italy by dribbing past 4 Italians. He later played in NASL.

Clodoaldo 

CM: Gerson 

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.

RW: Jairzinho 

"The Hurricane" was a star at the 1970 WC Finals.  He was one of two players who had scored at every single game of a given World Cup Finals.  He also went to West Germany 1974.  For his club career, he played for the famous Botafago team of the 1960's.  He was an understudy to Garrincha. He also played in France with Marseille.

Jairzinho

AM: Dirceu 

He were on three WC teams: 1974, 1978 and 1982.  His best tournament was in 1978, where he made the All-tournament team.  For his club career, he played for various clubs in Brazil before joining Atletico Madrid.  From 1982 to 1987, he played for 5 Italian clubs.

LW/AM: Rivelino 

He is considered to be one of the greatest left-sided midfielder ever.  His signature move was the "flip-flap". He was a member of Brazil's great 1970 team and also played in the 1974 team.  He had 92 caps for Brazil.  He was known for his master of the "flip flap" move. He started his career with Corinthians, but in one of the club's worst period in history. He moved to Fluminense in 1974, forming a great team with Carlos Alberto.  He also played for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Rivelino

AM/FW: Rivaldo 

Rivaldo was a part of the attacking trio known as "Three R's" with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho at the 2002 World Cup Finals.  He scored 5 goals in 5 games as Brazil took its 5th World Cup.  He also went to the WC Finals in 1998. For his club career, he was known for his career with Barcelona in Spain.  He won the 1999 Ballon d' Or.

FW: Pele

Pele is considered the greatest player ever in the history of the game.  He won his first World Cup in 1958 as a 17 years old.  He would win his second one in 1962, but he was injured throughout the tournament. In 1970, he won his third and final World Cup, with a team that was considered the greatest ever.  He played almost his entire career with Santos.  He unretired to join New York Cosmos in 1976

Pele

ST: Bebeto 
With 39 goals in 75 appearances for Brazil, Bebeto is the sixth highest goalscorer for his national team. He was the top scorer for Brazil at the 1989 Copa América as the nation went on to win the tournament. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup, he formed a formidable strike partnership with Romário to lead Brazil to a record fourth World Cup title.  His goal celebration against Holland was one of the best ever.  His best club career was with Deportivo La Coruna, where won the Pichichi Trophy in 1993.  He played for Flamengo, Vasco da Gama, Cruzeiro and Botafogo in Brazil, Sevilla in Spain, Toros Neza in Mexico, Kashima Antlers in Japan, and Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, finally retiring in 2002. 

ST: Tostao 
Tostao was the starting forward of Brazil's 1970 WC Team. He was a false noine, providing assists for the rest of the team.  He nearly missed the WC Finals due to an eye injury.  He also went to England 1966.  He was South American Player of the Year in 1973.  He played 11 years with Cruzeiro.

ST Romario

Romario helped the Seleção to win the 1994 FIFA World Cup, receiving the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year the same year. He missed the 1998 WC Finals because of an injury. One of very few strikers to surpass the mark of 1,000 goals. He was best remembered for his stint with Barcelona.

ST: Ronaldo

Ronaldo led Brazil to two WC Finals match, winning the one in 2002.  He scored 8 goals in 2002.  He was the winner of Ballon d'Or twice and the FIFA World Player of the Year three times.  He is the second top-scorer in WC history.  He played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, and for both AC Milan and Inter Milan. 

Ronaldo

Honorable Mention

Everaldo, Nelinho, Jorginho, Mauro Silva, Leivinha, Leonardo Araújo, Paulo Cézar Caju, Edmundo.

Squad Explanation

-- I only included players who played under Mario Zagello as the manager of the national team.  He was an assistant manager under Carlos Alberto Parreira.

-- Ademir da Guia did not play much for him at the World Cup Finals in 1974.

-- Romario only played for Mario Zagallo in one major tournament: Copa America 1997. He was also a part of the 1998 Gold Cup team.

-- Mario Zagello took Bebeto to the 1996 Olympics as an overaged player.  At the 1998 World Cup Finals, he again put trust in him.  I do believe Bebeto was among Mario Zagello's favourite player in the 1990's.

Formation
The formation is a cross between the 4-2-4 of Brazil 1970's and 4-2-2-2 used by Brazil in other eras.