When we talk about the sport of football (not the American one!), we cannot argue with the fact that no one has a better record than Brazil.
Their success in the sport is unparalleled, so much so that their country is often referred to as 'o País do Futebol' ('the country of football'). For them, the tournaments are festivals that bring everyone together.
One cannot talk about football without mentioning its greatest event held every four years, the FIFA World Cup (or simply known as the World Cup). We have compiled the most important Brazil World Cup facts that every football fan should know. The Brazilian team has set the benchmark for how the sport should be played.
With their many victories and splendid records, they have become an inspiration in and around their country for all little football enthusiasts. It does not matter if we call it football or soccer, the rules and the emotion behind the sport remain the same.
While the Olympics restrict player participation by age and professional status, the World cup never does so. The FIFA World cup is truly a face-off between the best players from across the globe. Keep reading to learn more!
The FIFA World Cup is the greatest tournament for the sport of football, which was started in the year 1930. The inaugural tournament was held in Uruguay.
The World Cup is held every four years, which is similar to the way both the summer and winter Olympics are conducted. With the exception of 1942 and 1946, the games have never been canceled. Currently, 32 national teams can qualify from the play-offs, held over a duration of three years, for the main tournament.
Brazil holds the record for being the most successful national team in the FIFA World Cup series, having won the title more than any other nation. They also have the record of being the only country that won the most consecutive matches in one World Cup game.
The current format of the FIFA World Cup involves a qualification round that shortlists the countries that can participate in the tournament phase.
Since 1930, the Brazilian team has never failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. They have successfully cleared every play-off and made it to the World Cup tournament each year that they participated.
They remain the only team to have played in every World cup tournament held over the years. They have won the title on five separate occasions: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002.
They have won the World Cup title in four different continents: Europe (1958), South America (1962), North America (1970 and 1994), and Asia (2002), and remain the only national team to do so. They have never won the tournament whenever they hosted it (talk about a bad omen!).
Twice they reached the World Cup finals of the tournament but ended up as runners-up (1950 and 1998).
With finishing in third place and fourth place twice. Brazil’s football team has competed in the top four a total of 11 times.
One of the most remarkable tournaments in the history of the World Cup was held at Maracanã Stadium. It was the year 1950, and Brazil was playing against Uruguay in the finals of the FIFA World Cup.
The match was a tournament-deciding match, and the battle for the title of champions was going on strongly.
In the end, Uruguay won 2-1 against Brazil. The defeat on home ground and in the first-ever tournament held in Maracanã Stadium was a very devastating event for Brazil’s history and was later on popularly known as 'Maracanazo.'
Facts About Famous Brazilian Soccer Players
Brazil has created a long list of famous football players. We all are familiar with the names Garrincha, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Romário, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká and Neymar.
Having such players meant that Brazil’s national teams had more records than any other team too. We already know about the record of having won the FIFA World Cup the maximum number of times. Let’s look into other facts about the players in the Brazil football team.
Brazil holds the record for the maximum goals scored in the World Cup. Individually, Ronaldo holds the second position for the same with a total of 15 goals.
Pelé has the greatest number of wins in the World Cup by any player (1958, 1962, and 1970). Pelé is also Brazil’s all-time top scorer in international tournaments. He is the youngest scorer in the history of Brazil.
He scored his first goal at the age of sixteen. The years in which Pelé participated in the world cups are known as the 'First Golden Era' in the history of Brazilian football.
Jairzinho scored seven goals in total in the 1970 edition of the World Cup, and he is the only footballer who was able to score in every match of a single World Cup. The national team for the world cup in the year 1970 is called one of the best teams to ever exist.
Facts About Brazil's National Team
Brazil is the world’s fifth-largest country by area and the sixth-most populous one. We can now safely say that the one thing that unites the whole nation is the passion for games, especially football. Over 10,000 Brazilians play football professionally, and a lot of them have already created history.
Brazil's football team is considered the best by many people across the world. But what makes them the best? What do the players do to ensure that they remain at the top position?
It is believed that the first match played by the Brazil national team was in 1914. While the initial performances by the team were not very stellar, they now have become the most popular football team in the world.
They have also earned quite a few nicknames from their peers as well as admirers. Some of them include 'Little canary,' 'Five-time Champions,' and 'The Golden Squad,'.
Brazil national team’s success can be attributed to their strict training regime, even under harsh circumstances. While the professionals always get to play in state-of-the-art training grounds, the youth mostly play on the streets.
Therefore, by the time they reach professional status, they are used to playing on rough surfaces. International football teams other than Brazil might think of this as an obstacle, but it actually aids the Brazilian players in improving their game.
Training without proper ground or equipment can prove to be a bit of a challenge, but the commitment that the youth have towards the sport is phenomenal. They don’t even have to look beyond the nation to find inspiration too.
For every young player looking up to their heroes within the game, the list of names of amazing players is a long one.
Players such as Pele, Kaka, Neymar have all been part of the national teams, and their success stories serve as great motivation.
When we have such great role models, the game will definitely continue to thrive as success inevitably breeds success. The young players grow up watching their favorite superstars win matches for the country and try their best not to let down the legacy of their heroes.
Facts About Soccer's Popularity In Brazil
With the amount of success that Brazilian Football teams have achieved, it is no wonder that the sport has made a great impact on Brazilian culture. From a very young age, football has become an indispensable part of people’s lives.
Children will go out to play on the streets and dream that one day they will be selected for the national team too. The players who represent their country are treated like celebrities and are given god-like status.
To make it to the team is considered to be a matter of immense pride for the population.
When such competition is experienced from an early age, only the most talented and skilled player can make it to the top. The passion towards the sport is not just seen in the players but in the general public too.
One simply doesn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of the sport.
The young children pick up their football whenever they get a chance to practice their skills, and the people like to sit and cheer for both the professionals and the amateurs. The fascination towards the sport never fails to create a sense of unity and harmony in people regardless of their age, origin, or status.
Facts About The 2014 Brazil World Cup:
Brazil hosted the FIFA World Cup for the second time in 2014. They held it for the first time in 1950. The mascot is an armadillo named 'Fuleco.' The official slogan for the games is 'Juntos num so Ritmo,' which translates to 'All in one rhythm.'
The 2014 FIFA World that was organized by the Brazilian state marked a new era for the sport. It was during this year that the invention known as the 'goal-line technology' was used.
The goal-line technology uses 14 cameras set up at different angles and a mainframe computer. The referee can use them to make a clear judgment whenever a goal is scored.
Since every single goal can count towards the final victory, the tensions are always high during the matches. Any room for error can cause a major uproar, and this technology left no room for controversy.
The special watch on the wrist of the referee lights up with the word ‘goal’ whenever the ball crosses the goal line. The video from the camera can also be watched multiple times and in slow-motion so that every decision is precise.
This year of World Cup also saw a nation participate for the very first time: Bosnia-Herzegovina. The matches for the 2014 edition of the football World Cup were held across stadiums in 14 different cities: Manaus, Fortaleza, Natal, Recife, Salvador, Cuiaba, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo, and Porto Alegre.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 145 facts about Brazil World Cup that every sports fan should know, then why not take a look at schools in Brazil facts or Sao Paulo Brazil facts.
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Bachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science
Christian MbaBachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science
Christian Mba is an experienced blogger and content writer with over a decade of experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Nigeria and has a keen interest in Python programming. Along with his writing and blogging expertise, he is also an SEO specialist with more than six years of experience. Chris, as he is commonly known, has a passion for music and enjoys playing the piano.
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