Brazil at the FIFA World Cup
International football delegation
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This article summarizes the results and overall performance of Brazil at the FIFA World Cup, including the qualification phase and the final phase, officially called the World Cup finals. The qualification phase, which currently takes place over the three years preceding the finals, is used to determine which teams qualify for the finals. The current format of the finals involves 48 teams competing for the title, at venues within the host country.
Brazil is the most successful national team in the history of the World Cup, having won five titles and earned second place, third place, and fourth place finishes twice each. Brazil is one of four countries along with Argentina, Spain, and Germany to win a FIFA World Cup away from its continent (Sweden 1958, Chile 1962, Mexico 1970, United States 1994, and South Korea/Japan 2002). Brazil is also the only national team to have played in all FIFA World Cup editions without any absence or need for play-offs. Brazil also has the best overall performance in World Cup history in both proportional and absolute terms, with a record of 76 victories in 114 matches played, 129 goal difference, 247 points, and only 19 losses across 22 tournaments.[1][2]
Traditionally, Brazil's greatest rival is Argentina. The two countries have met each other four times in the history of the FIFA World Cup, with two wins for Brazil (West Germany 1974 and Spain 1982), one for Argentina (Italy 1990), and a draw (Argentina 1978). The country that played the most matches against Brazil at the World Cup is Sweden: seven times, with five wins for Brazil and two draws. Three other historical rivals are Italy, which lost two World Cup finals against Brazil and eliminated the Brazilians in two tournaments (France 1938 and Spain 1982), France, which defeated Brazil on three occasions (Mexico 1986, France 1998, and Germany 2006), and the Netherlands, which has eliminated Brazil at two of their five meetings (West Germany 1974 and South Africa 2010), were themselves eliminated at two others (USA 1994 and France 1998) and won the match for third place in Brazil 2014.
FIFA World Cup record
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place Tournament played fully or partially on home soil
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1930 | Group stage | 6th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
 1934 | Round of 16 | 14th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 1938 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 11 |
 1950 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 6 |
 1954 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 |
 1958 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4 |
 1962 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 5 |
 1966 | Group stage | 11th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
 1970 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 7 |
 1974 | Fourth place | 4th | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
 1978 | Third place | 3rd | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
 1982 | Second group stage | 5th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 6 |
| 1986 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
 1990 | Round of 16 | 9th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
 1994 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
 1998 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 10 |
  2002 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4 |
| 2006 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 2 |
 2010 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
 2014 | Fourth place | 4th | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 14 |
 2018 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 |
 2022 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 |
 2026 | Round of 16 | 11th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 |
  2030 | To be determined | |||||||
 2034 | ||||||||
| Total | 23/23 | 5 Titles | 119 | 79 | 20 | 20 | 247 | 112 |
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
| Brazil's World Cup record | |
|---|---|
| First match | Brazil 1–2 Yugoslavia  (14 July 1930; Montevideo, Uruguay) |
| Biggest win | Brazil 7–1 Sweden (9 July 1950; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) |
| Biggest defeat | Brazil 1–7 Germany (8 July 2014; Belo Horizonte, Brazil) |
| Best result | Champions in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 |
| Worst result | First round in 1934, group stage in 1930 and 1966 |
World Cup titles
| Year | Manager | Captain | Goalscorer(s) in final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Vicente Feola | Bellini | Vavá (2), Pelé (2), Zagallo |
| 1962 | Aymoré Moreira | Mauro Ramos | Amarildo, Zito, Vavá |
| 1970 | Mário Zagallo | Carlos Alberto Torres | Pelé, Gérson, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto Torres |
| 1994 | Carlos Alberto Parreira | Dunga | N/A |
| 2002 | Luiz Felipe Scolari | Cafu | Ronaldo (2) |
By match
By opponent
| Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 50.00 |
 Algeria |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
 Australia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.00 |
 Austria |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 100.00 |
 Belgium |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 50.00 |
 Bolivia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 100.00 |
 Bulgaria |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.00 |
 Cameroon |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 66.67 |
 China |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 100.00 |
| Chile |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 75.00 |
 Colombia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 100.00 |
 Costa Rica |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 100.00 |
 Croatia |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 66.67 |
 Czechoslovakia |
5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 60.00 |
 Denmark |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 100.00 |
 East Germany |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
| England |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 75.00 |
| France |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 25.00 |
| Germany |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 50.00 |
 Ghana |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00 |
 Haiti |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00 |
 Hungary |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 0.00 |
| Italy |
5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 40.00 |
 Ivory Coast |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 100.00 |
| Japan |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 100.00 |
| Mexico |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | +13 | 80.00 |
| Morocco |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 50.00 |
 Netherlands |
5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 20.00 |
 New Zealand |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 100.00 |
 Northern Ireland |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00 |
 North Korea |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 100.00 |
 Norway |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0.00 |
 Peru |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 100.00 |
 Poland |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 75.00 |
| Portugal |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 |
 Romania |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Russia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.00 |
 Scotland |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 80.00 |
 Serbia |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 100.00 |
 South Korea |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 100.00 |
 Soviet Union |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 100.00 |
| Spain |
5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 60.00 |
| Sweden |
7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 8 | +13 | 71.43 |
| Switzerland |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 33.33 |
 Turkey |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 100.00 |
| United States |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Uruguay |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 50.00 |
 Wales |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
 Yugoslavia |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 25.00 |
 Zaire |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00 |
| Total | 117 | 78 | 20 | 19 | 244 | 109 | +135 | 66.67 |
Record players
Most matches played
Brazil's record World Cup appearance maker Cafu is also the only individual to have ever played in three consecutive FIFA World Cup finals (1994, 1998 and 2002).
| Rank | Player | Matches | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cafu | 20 | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| 2 | Ronaldo | 19 | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| 3 | Cláudio Taffarel | 18 | 1990, 1994, 1998 |
| Dunga | 18 | 1990, 1994, 1998 | |
| 5 | Roberto Carlos | 17 | 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| Lúcio | 17 | 2002, 2006, 2010 | |
| 7 | Jairzinho | 16 | 1966, 1970, 1974 |
| Gilberto Silva | 16 | 2002, 2006, 2010 | |
| 9 | Nílton Santos | 15 | 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962 |
| Didi | 15 | 1954, 1958, 1962 | |
| Rivellino | 15 | 1970, 1974, 1978 | |
| Bebeto | 15 | 1990, 1994, 1998 | |
| Neymar | 15 | 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
Most tournaments
Nine individuals have been part of Brazil's squad at a record four different World Cup editions, with four of these players having made at least one appearance in all four tournaments. Goalkeeper Émerson Leão is the only Brazilian to have been in four World Cup squads non-consecutively, having not been called up in 1982.
| Editions | Rank | World Cups |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Carlos Castilho | (1950), 1954, (1958), (1962) |
| Nílton Santos | (1950), 1954, 1958, 1962 | |
| Djalma Santos | 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966 | |
| Pelé | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 | |
| Émerson Leão | (1970), 1974, 1978, (1986) | |
| Cafu | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 | |
| Ronaldo | (1994), 1998, 2002, 2006 | |
| Thiago Silva | (2010), 2014, 2018, 2022 | |
| Neymar | 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
- Years in brackets indicate that the player was part of the squad but did not play in any matches.
Top goalscorers
Five Brazilians have won the World Cup Golden Boot Award over the years: Leônidas with seven goals in 1938, Ademir with nine goals in 1950, Garrincha and Vavá with four goals each in 1962, and Ronaldo with eight goals in 2002.
| Rank | Player | Goals | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ronaldo | 15 | 1998 (4), 2002 (8), 2006 (3) |
| 2 | Pelé | 12 | 1958 (6), 1962 (1), 1966 (1), 1970 (4) |
| 3 | Neymar | 9 | 2014 (4), 2018 (2), 2022 (2), 2026 (1) |
| Ademir | 9 | 1950 | |
| Vavá | 9 | 1958 (5), 1962 (4) | |
| Jairzinho | 9 | 1970 (7), 1974 (2) | |
| 7 | Leônidas | 8 | 1934 (1), 1938 (7) |
| Rivaldo | 8 | 1998 (3), 2002 (5) | |
| 9 | Careca | 7 | 1986 (5), 1990 (2) |
| 10 | Bebeto | 6 | 1994 (3), 1998 (3) |
| Rivellino | 6 | 1970 (3), 1974 (3) |
Players provided by club
Below is the list of clubs that have provided more than five players for Brazil throughout the FIFA World Cup editions:[3][4]
| Club | Total players |
|---|---|
| Botafogo |
47 |
| São Paulo |
46 |
| Flamengo |
36 |
| Vasco da Gama |
34 |
| Fluminense |
32 |
| Corinthians |
24 |
| Palmeiras | |
| Santos | |
| Real Madrid |
13 |
| Atlético Mineiro |
12 |
| Barcelona |
11 |
| Cruzeiro | |
| Roma |
10 |
| Internazionale |
9 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | |
| Grêmio |
8 |
| Internacional | |
| Milan |
7 |
| Benfica |
6 |
| Chelsea | |
| Juventus | |
| Manchester City | |
| Portuguesa |
- Notes
- 1930: Some sources claim that players Doca (São Cristóvão) and Benevenuto (Flamengo) were not officially entered at the 1930 squad. This count includes Benevenuto and Doca. Araken never played for Flamengo, but he was registered as a club athlete just as a matter of formality, since APEA (São Paulo) was in a power struggle over command of Brazilian football with the CBD, situated in Rio de Janeiro. The player, in fact, had terminated with Santos and signed with São Paulo.[5][6]
- 1934: This count does not include players who didn't travel to Italy and stayed on stand-by in Brazil: Almeida (Bahia), Bilé (Ypiranga-SP), Jaguaré (Corinthians) and Pamplona (Botafogo).[7] Neither includes Domingos da Guia, barred from participating in the competition by Nacional Montevideo, who had already ceded Patesko and demanded a high compensation fee.[8]
Awards and records
Team awards
Individual awards
Golden Ball award
- Golden Ball:
Golden Boot award
- Golden Boot:
- Silver Boot:
Best Young Player award
Other individual awards
Team records
- Most titles (5)
- Most participations (23)
- Most matches played (119)
- Most victories (79)
- Most goals scored (247)
- Best goal difference (+135)
- Joint-most red cards (11)
- Most finishes in the top 5 (15), top 8 (19), top 10 (20) and top 16 (23)
- Most consecutive wins (11, 2002–2006)
- Most tournaments finishing unbeaten (7)
- Only team to win all matches in two World Cups (1970 and 2002)
- One of two teams to have defended their title as champions (1962)
- One of two teams to have progressed to three consecutive World Cup finals (1994–2002)
- Joint-most wins in one tournament (7, 2002)
- Joint-best goal difference as champion (+14, 2002)
Individual records
- Pelé holds a number of FIFA World Cup records:
- Only player to win three FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970)
- Youngest tournament winner (1958, aged 17 years and 249 days)
- Youngest goalscorer (1958 v Wales, aged 17 years and 239 days)
- Youngest hat-trick scorer (1958 v France, aged 17 years and 244 days)
- Youngest goalscorer in a final (1958 v Sweden, aged 17 years and 249 days)
- Youngest Golden Ball winner: Ronaldo (1998, aged 21 years and 297 days)
- Most appearances in the All-Star Team: Djalma Santos (3, 1954–1962) (shared with Franz Beckenbauer and Philipp Lahm)
- Most tournament wins as player and coach: Mário Zagallo (3, 1958 and 1962 as player, 1970 as coach)
- Only player to appear in three consecutive FIFA World Cup finals: Cafu (1994, 1998 and 2002)
- Most team awards won: Cafu (4, 1994–2006)