Selecao History and Facts

When Did Brazil Win Their First World Cup

Brazil won the World Cup for the first time in 1958. Up until then, Brazil had reached the finals only once before, in 1950. They lost the match to Uruguay, but 8 years later they reached the final again and won. This was the World Cup that made Pele. The 17 year old played for Santos and he scored 6 goals in his first World Cup, with 2 of those goals scored in the final match, against Sweden. Brazil beat Sweden, who were the hosts of the tournament, 5-2, with goals coming from Pele, Vava, and Zagallo.

Who is the Top Goal Scorer For Brazil

Pele is currently the top goal scorer for the Selecao, having scored 77 goals in his career. Neymar is very close behind Pele, with 77 goals to his name, and at the age of 30 he is more than capable of beating Pele's fantastic record. With respect to Neymar, Pele did score his 77 goals in a mere 92 games, whilst Neymar scored 77 in 121 games. Neymar may not have the same stardom in his career that Pele had, but there is no denying that the player will be amongst the greatest to wear the shirt when he finally retires.

The top goal scorer for Brazil in the World Cup is Ronaldo. Il Phenomeno, as he was called by fans, was part of 4 World Cups, although he only played in 3. He scored 15 goals across the 1998, 2002, and 2006 World Cups. He finished his career with 2 World Cup titles.

When Did Brazil Host the World Cup

Brazil is one of 5 countries to have hosted the World Cup twice. The first time the World Cup was hosted by Brazil was in 1950. As mentioned earlier, the team finished that World Cup in second place, after they lost to Uruguay in the final. The second time the country hosted the World Cup was in 2014. Brazil had a great run of performances in the group stage, and they went on to beat Chile in the round of 16 and Colombia in the quarter finals. Neymar, who had been highly influential in the tournament, suffered a tragic injury to his spine during the match against Colombia, and his absence in the semi finals was definitely felt. Brazil faced Germany and suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in their history. Germany beat Brazil 7-1, knocking them out of the competition.

Which Brazilian Won the World Cup as a Player and Manager

Zagallo has won the World Cup as both a player and a manager. There are currently only three people that have achieved this feat, but Franz Beckenbauer and Didier Deschamps only won 1 World Cup as a player and 1 as a manager, whilst Zagallo won 2 as a player and 1 as a manager. In 1958, Zagallo was 26 years old and donned the number 7 shirt. He scored only 1 goal in the competition, which was in the final against Sweden. In 1962, he was 30 years old and also scored only 1 goal, but he was an important part of the team as they went on to win the competition. Zagallo took over the managerial position of Brazil in 1994, after spending 3 years as the coordinator of the team. He had a team that consisted of the likes of Dunga, Romario, Cafu, Leonardo, and Bebeto, among others. The team went on to beat Russia, Cameroon, the US, the Netherlands, and Sweden, to meet Italy in the final. The final was a dramatic game, and it ended 0-0 so the game had to be decided in a penalty shootout. Brazil won the shootout to win the World Cup, and Zagallo became the second person to win as a manager and player. What is quite coincidental is that Franz Beckenbauer was the first person to win as a player as a manager just 4 years earlier, when Germany won the World Cup.

Which Team Has Brazil Faced the Most in the World Cup

Brazil has played against Sweden 7 times in the World Cup. They won 5 of these games, including the 1958 final, and only drew 2 games. They faced Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico, Italy, and the Czechoslovakia 5 times. The Netherlands has proved to be the biggest threat to Brazil, beating them 4 times.