The Copa America is knocking on the door as some of the best Latin American players will collide head-on against each other in a bid to be crowned the best in the region. The most successful team in the tournament is Uruguay with 15 titles, closely followed by Argentina.
In third place, Brazil sit comfortably with 8 Copa America titles—something which is a bit bizarre given that they have won the World Cup a record 5 times.
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Nevertheless, the nation has been the source of some of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen. In their glorious history, they have produced numerous legends that etched their names on the walls of eternal history.
Picking up Brazil’s greatest XI is a difficult challenge in itself. However, since the Brazil team of the 50s, 60s and 70s won almost everything that they found in front of them, I have decided to omit them and include only players from the 1990s to now—otherwise, the whole XI would be filled with the players of the vintage era.
And here is Brazil’s greatest XI post-1990 with a 4-2-2-2 formation...
Goalkeeper
The one thing Brazil have always had a problem with is the goalkeeping section. There is an abundance of attackers in the country—the samba flair makes it a natural inclination—but Brazil have never really produced many great goalkeepers.
Even when they did, most were prone to making errors on a consistent basis. However, there was one who stood above the rest.
Dida is perhaps the greatest goalkeeper in the history of Brazil. Not only did he win accolades with his country, but also picked up a lot of silverware at club level with AC Milan, with the Champions League being the crown jewel.
On the international front, he won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 as well the Copa America in 1999, which puts him on this list ahead of Julio Cesar.
Defense
Brazil is the home to some of the greatest wing-backs that have graced the football pitch. Be it Jorginho, Dani Alves or Marcelo, there has never really been a dearth of world-class full-backs from Brazil.
Hence, choosing one right-back was a difficult endeavor. In the end, Cafu finds his place here ahead of Dani Alves and Jorginho. The World Cup winning captain was the extra attacker in Brazil’s system and also did his defensive duties admirably.
Picking up 2 players for the center of the defense wasn’t as hard as choosing the full-backs was. While Brazil have produced some outstanding center-halves, the amount doesn’t reach even close to the number of legendary midfielders and attackers Brazil have had.
In the right center-half position, tough-tackling Lucimar da Silva, aka Lucio, finds himself stationed. Whereas, his partner on the left center-back is 1994 World Cup winning defender, Aldair.
Both of them might never have played together, but they would certainly complement each other because while Lucio was one of the best tacklers in the game during his peak, Aldair relied more on positional instinct to avert danger.
Finally, for the left-back spot, there can be no debate since Roberto Carlos beats each every left-back by a long margin. He is the greatest attacking full-back of all time and his inclusion needs no explanation.
Midfield
Before you read any further, let it be known that the midfield quartet might not please many Brazil aficionados since I have decided to leave out some flamboyant players for robust warriors in an attempt to make this XI as balanced as possible.
It was for this very reason why I opted for a 4-2-2-2 formation. In the double-pivot at the base of the midfield, the duty to guard the defense falls on the able shoulders of Dunga and Gilberto Silva. For many, this might too rigid a base, but Dunga’s ability to carry the ball out of deep midfield with his passes and technique would work as a fine link between midfield and attack.
The reason why Dunga and Silva were chosen over some of the more creative players is simple: they bring balance to the system and were two of the best ball-winners at their peak. For the attacking players to play well, they need the ball at their feet in the first place—and this duo provides just that.
Further up, in attacking midfield, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo get the nod ahead of Ricardo Kaka. The latter was the best player in the world before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo took over. However, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, at their peaks, were better than the former Real Madrid man.
Also, their directness suits the counter-attacking system on which this XI has been hypothesized.
While Ronaldinho’s vision and trickery provide the perfect platform of assistance, Rivaldo’s cunning skill on the ball makes him a pseudo third attacker—a surprise element—for the opposition to deal with.
Forwards
Brazil is the birthplace of forwards. Every kid that grows up in the streets of Brazil aspires to be a forward. And who could blame them since some of the greatest Brazilian players are all forwards.
Hence, choosing two from a plethora of stars was no easy task. However, after much consideration, it all came down to two players who you can’t leave out from a list like this: Ronaldo Nazario and Romario.
Both of them were the best forwards in the world during their era. They could score from any angle and at any given moment to turn the game on its head. While Ronaldo’s explosiveness and power was second to none, Romario relied on his blistering pace and finesse to smash the ball into the net.
Both of these players were a joy to watch as fans could only mentally envisage how it would be like had these two played together.
