Top 10 Best Brazilian Footballers of All Time
Updated: Sep 18
Brazil and football have been closely connected for generations. The country has produced World Cup winners, Ballon d'Or winners, legendary goalscorers, extraordinary dribblers and some of the most naturally gifted players the game has ever seen.
That makes choosing the best Brazilian footballers of all time a difficult task. Pelé, Garrincha, Zico, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Romário and Neymar are only some of the names that could make a serious claim for a place among Brazil's greatest.
Brazil's record at the World Cup tells part of the story. The Seleção have won the tournament five times, more than any other nation, with generations of outstanding players contributing to that remarkable record. So, who makes the top 10?
Below Are The 10 Best Brazilian Footballers of All Time
This ranking considers overall ability, influence on Brazilian football, international achievements, club careers, major honours, longevity and the impact a player had on the game.
It is not simply a list of Brazil's biggest goalscorers. Defenders, midfielders and creative players deserve the same consideration as the country's famous forwards.
10. Kaká
Kaká was one of the most elegant attacking midfielders of his generation. At his best with AC Milan, he combined acceleration, intelligent movement, dribbling and an eye for goal.
Rather than relying solely on elaborate tricks, Kaká could carry the ball at speed and turn defence into attack within seconds.
His greatest club achievements came with Milan, including the Champions League title, while his individual peak was recognised when he won the Ballon d'Or in 2007. He remains the most recent Brazilian men's player to win the award.
Kaká was also part of Brazil's 2002 World Cup-winning squad. His international career never quite reached the heights that his club career promised, but at his peak he was one of the most complete attacking midfielders in world football.
9. Neymar
Neymar's omission from any discussion of Brazil's greatest footballers would be difficult to justify. The forward became one of the most naturally gifted Brazilian players of his generation, combining close control, dribbling, creativity and finishing.
He developed into a superstar at Santos before moving to Barcelona, where he formed part of the celebrated attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez.
Neymar later enjoyed a hugely successful spell with Paris Saint-Germain and became Brazil's all-time leading men's international goalscorer, overtaking Pelé's long-standing record. FIFA lists Neymar on 79 goals for Brazil, with Pelé on 77 and Ronaldo on 62.
There is a strong argument that injuries and the timing of his career prevented Neymar from achieving even more. Nevertheless, his ability and influence on Brazilian football place him firmly among the country's greatest modern players.
8. Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos changed perceptions of what a left-back could be. His explosive pace, powerful shooting and willingness to attack made him a constant threat from defence, while his famous free-kicks became part of football folklore.
His career at Real Madrid brought multiple major honours, including La Liga titles and Champions League success.
For Brazil, Roberto Carlos was part of the team that won the 2002 World Cup, playing alongside Cafu, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo.
His free-kick against France in 1997 remains one of the most recognisable set pieces in football history. More than that one famous strike, though, Roberto Carlos deserves recognition for redefining the attacking potential of the modern full-back.
7. Rivaldo
Rivaldo was one of the most technically gifted attacking players of his generation. The left-footed Brazilian could operate as a midfielder, second striker or forward and was capable of producing spectacular goals from almost any area of the pitch.
His club career included important spells with Deportivo La Coruña, Barcelona and AC Milan, while his international career reached its greatest point with Brazil's 2002 World Cup triumph.
Rivaldo played a major role in that tournament, forming a devastating attacking partnership with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. FIFA and the CBF both identify him as a key member of the team that won Brazil's fifth World Cup. He also won the Ballon d'Or in 1999.
Rivaldo's style was not always as flashy as Ronaldinho's, but his technique, intelligence and ability to decide important matches made him one of Brazil's finest attacking players.
6. Cafu
Cafu is arguably the greatest right-back Brazil has ever produced. His energy, stamina and attacking instincts made him one of the defining full-backs of his era, but his leadership was equally important.
Cafu played in four World Cups and appeared in three finals, winning the tournament with Brazil in 1994 and 2002. FIFA records him with 20 World Cup appearances and 150 senior international appearances, the latter a Brazil record across all competitions.
His club career was equally impressive. He enjoyed successful spells with Roma and AC Milan, winning major domestic and European honours. Cafu's longevity was remarkable.
He remained capable of operating at the highest level across several generations of Brazilian football, making him one of the most reliable and influential defenders in the country's history.
5. Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho made football look like a game played for fun. The Brazilian's combination of dribbling, close control, improvisation, vision and creativity made him one of the most entertaining players of his generation.
His greatest club football came with Barcelona, where he became the central figure in a team that eventually won the Champions League. Ronaldinho also won the Ballon d'Or in 2005, confirming his status as the outstanding individual player of that period.
His Brazil career included the 2002 World Cup triumph, when he formed part of the extraordinary attacking group alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldo. There was an unpredictability to Ronaldinho's football that made him different.
A pass could come from an unexpected angle. A defender could be beaten with a piece of skill. A free-kick could suddenly change a match. He was one of those players who could make supporters fall in love with football.
4. Romário
Romário was a striker built around efficiency. He did not need endless touches or elaborate build-up play to influence a match. His movement inside the penalty area and ability to finish with either foot made him one of the most dangerous forwards of his generation.
His greatest international achievement came at the 1994 World Cup, where his goals and overall performances helped Brazil win the tournament.
The CBF recognises Romário as one of Brazil's great World Cup forwards, while FIFA includes him among the country's leading scorers in World Cup history. Romário also enjoyed outstanding club spells with PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona and Vasco da Gama.
He became famous for his confidence in front of goal and his ability to find space where defenders thought there was none. Career goal totals attributed to Romário vary depending on which matches are included, but there is little dispute about his status as one of Brazil's greatest natural finishers.
3. Zico
Zico was the great Brazilian playmaker of his generation. Known as the "Galinho de Quintino", he combined vision, technique, passing and an exceptional ability to strike the ball.
His greatest club achievements came with Flamengo, where he became a symbol of one of the most celebrated teams in Brazilian club football. Flamengo won the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup in 1981, with Zico at the heart of the side.
He was also central to Brazil's celebrated 1982 World Cup team. That side did not win the tournament, losing to Italy in a famous second-round match, but the midfield containing Zico, Sócrates and Falcão remains one of the most admired in World Cup history.
The CBF itself describes that midfield as one of the most outstanding in the history of the competition. Zico never won a World Cup, but that does not diminish his individual standing.
He was one of the finest attacking midfielders Brazil has ever produced.
2. Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima was one of the most devastating strikers football has ever seen. Known simply as Ronaldo, or "O Fenômeno", he combined explosive acceleration, close control, physical strength and clinical finishing in a way few forwards could match.
His club career took him to some of Europe's biggest teams, including Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. But his greatest international achievement came with Brazil.
After suffering a serious setback before the 1998 World Cup final, Ronaldo returned to lead Brazil's attack at the 2002 tournament. He scored eight goals in the competition and then scored twice in the final against Germany as Brazil lifted the World Cup.
Those performances completed one of the great World Cup redemption stories. Ronaldo also won the FIFA World Player of the Year award twice and remains one of the highest scorers in World Cup history. At his peak, he was almost impossible to contain.
1. Pelé
Pelé remains the standard against which Brazil's greatest footballers are measured. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, he became a global sporting icon while still a teenager and helped Brazil win the World Cup three times.
He was part of the winning teams in 1958, 1962 and 1970, making him the only player in history to have won three World Cups. FIFA records him with 12 World Cup goals. Pelé's importance went beyond his statistics.
He combined finishing, dribbling, movement, passing and athleticism and became the central figure in Brazil's rise to football's global summit. His performances at the 1958 World Cup announced his arrival on the world stage.
Four years later, an injury limited his involvement in the tournament, while Garrincha became one of the stars of Brazil's successful campaign.
By 1970, Pelé was the leader of one of the most celebrated teams in World Cup history. His influence also extended beyond the national team.
His success with Santos helped introduce Brazilian football to audiences around the world, turning Pelé into one of the first truly global football superstars. There have been countless great Brazilian footballers. But Pelé remains the most obvious starting point when discussing the country's greatest.
Bonus: Garrincha – The Joy of the People
Garrincha is perhaps the biggest name to miss the top 10. The winger's dribbling and improvisation made him one of the most entertaining players in football history.
He was particularly influential at the 1962 World Cup, when Pelé was injured and Garrincha became the leading figure in Brazil's successful campaign. FIFA describes his performance at that tournament as one of the greatest individual World Cup showings.
Garrincha and Pelé also formed one of the most famous partnerships in international football. The CBF notes that Brazil never lost a match in which the pair both played for the national team.
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