Brazil at the FIFA World Cup
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, earning 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. Brazil is also the only national team to have played in all FIFA World Cup editions without any absence or need for play-offs. In 22 World Cup tournaments, Brazil has 76 victories out of 114 matches. 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.
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, one for Argentina and a draw. 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, which has defeated Brazil on three occasions, and the Netherlands, which has eliminated Brazil at two of their five meetings, and won the third place match in Brazil 2014.
Records
''*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.''Record players
Brazil's record World Cup player, Cafu is also the only player ever to have appeared in three consecutive World Cup finals: 1994, 1998 and 2002.Most matches played
| 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 |
| 3 | Dunga | 18 | 1990, 1994, 1998 |
| 5 | Roberto Carlos | 17 | 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| 5 | Lúcio | 17 | 2002, 2006, 2010 |
| 7 | Jairzinho | 16 | 1966, 1970, 1974 |
| 7 | Gilberto Silva | 16 | 2002, 2006, 2010 |
| 9 | Nílton Santos | 15 | 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962 |
| 9 | Didi | 15 | 1954, 1958, 1962 |
| 9 | Rivellino | 15 | 1970, 1974, 1978 |
| 9 | Bebeto | 15 | 1990, 1994, 1998 |
Most tournament appearances
Altogether eight players share the record of four participations. The goalkeeper Émerson Leão is the only one who has played four tournaments non-consecutively.| Apps. | Name | Pos. | World Cups |
| 4 | Cafu | DF | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| 4 | Castilho | GK | 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962 |
| 4 | Djalma Santos | DF | 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966 |
| 4 | Leão | GK | 1970, 1974, 1978, 1986 |
| 4 | Nílton Santos | DF | 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962 |
| 4 | Pelé | FW | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 |
| 4 | Ronaldo | FW | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| 4 | Thiago Silva | DF | 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 |
Top goalscorers
Five Brazilians have won the World Cup Golden Boot Award over the years: Leônidas with 7 goals in 1938, Ademir with 9 goals in 1950, Garrincha and Vavá with 4 goals each in 1962 and Ronaldo with 8 goals in 2002.| Rank | Player | Goals | World Cups |
| 1 | Ronaldo | 15 | 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| 2 | Pelé | 12 | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 |
| 3 | Ademir | 9 | 1950 |
| 3 | Vavá | 9 | 1958, 1962 |
| 3 | Jairzinho | 9 | 1970, 1974 |
| 6 | Leônidas | 8 | 1934, 1938 |
| 6 | Rivaldo | 8 | 1998, 2002 |
| 6 | Neymar | 8 | 2014, 2018, 2022 |
| 9 | Careca | 7 | 1986, 1990 |
| 10 | Bebeto | 6 | 1994, 1998 |
| 10 | Rivellino | 6 | 1970, 1974 |
Players provided by club
Below is the list of clubs that have provided more than 5 players throughout the FIFA World Cup editions:| Club | Total players |
| Botafogo | 47 |
| São Paulo | 46 |
| Flamengo | 36 |
| Vasco da Gama | 34 |
| Fluminense | 32 |
| Corinthians | 24 |
| Palmeiras | 24 |
| Santos | 24 |
| Real Madrid | 13 |
| Atlético Mineiro | 12 |
| Barcelona | 11 |
| Cruzeiro | 11 |
| Roma | 10 |
| Internazionale | 9 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 9 |
| Grêmio | 8 |
| Internacional | 8 |
| Milan | 7 |
| Benfica | 6 |
| Chelsea | 6 |
| Juventus | 6 |
| Manchester City | 6 |
| Portuguesa | 6 |
;Notes
- 1930: Some sources claim that players Doca and Benevenuto 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 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.
- 1934: This count does not include players who didn't travel to Italy and stayed on stand-by in Brazil: Almeida, Bilé, Jaguaré and Pamplona. 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.
Awards and records
Team awards
- 1958 World Cup Champions
- 1962 World Cup Champions
- 1970 World Cup Champions
- 1994 World Cup Champions
- 2002 World Cup Champions
- FIFA Fair Play Trophy 1982
- FIFA Fair Play Trophy 1986
- FIFA Fair Play Trophy 1994
- FIFA Fair Play Trophy 2006
- Most Entertaining Team 1994
Individual awards
Golden Ball">FIFA World Cup awards">Golden Ball awards
- Golden Ball 1938: Leônidas
- Golden Ball 1950: Zizinho
- Golden Ball 1958: Didi
- Golden Ball 1962: Garrincha
- Golden Ball 1970: Pelé
- Golden Ball 1994: Romário
- Golden Ball 1998: Ronaldo '
- Silver Ball 1958: Pelé '
- Silver Ball 1970: Gérson
- Silver Ball 1982: Falcão
- Silver Ball 2002: Ronaldo
- Bronze Ball 1950: Ademir
- Bronze Ball 1978: Dirceu
Golden Boot">FIFA World Cup awards">Golden Boot awards
- Golden Boot 1938: Leônidas
- Golden Boot 1950: Ademir
- Golden Boot 1962: Garrincha and Vavá '
- Golden Boot 2002: Ronaldo
- Silver Boot 1958: Pelé '
- Silver Boot 1970: Jairzinho
- Silver Boot 1986: Careca
- Silver Boot 2002: Rivaldo
- Bronze Boot 1950: Chico
- Bronze Boot 1982: Zico
- Bronze Boot 1994: Romário
- Bronze Boot 2006: Ronaldo
- Bronze Boot 2014: Neymar
Other individual awards
- Best Young Player Award 1958: Pelé
- Man of the Match award 2002: Rivaldo
Awards as coaches of other nations
Brazilian coaches have appeared on the sidelines of other nations with some regularity. Three of them have won team awards with their nations:- Otto Glória won Third Place with Portugal in 1966.
- Didi won the FIFA Fair Play Trophy with Peru in 1970.
- Luiz Felipe Scolari won the Most Entertaining Team award with Portugal in 2006.
Team records
- Most titles
- Most participations
- Most games played
- Most victories
- Most goals scored
- Biggest goal difference
- Most sendings-off
- Most finishes in the Top 5, top 8, top 10 and Top 16
- Most consecutive wins and matches without losing
- Most tournaments finishing undefeated
- Only national team to win all matches in 2 world cups
- One of two teams to have defended their title as champions. The other being Italy.
- One of two teams to have progressed to three consecutive World Cup finals. The other being Germany.
- Most wins in one tournament
- Biggest goal difference as champion, shared with Germany
Individual records
- Pelé holds a number of FIFA World Cup records:
- *Only player to win three FIFA World Cups
- *Youngest tournament winner
- *Youngest goalscorer
- *Youngest hat-trick scorer
- *Youngest goalscorer in a final
- Youngest Golden Ball winner: Ronaldo
- Most appearances in an All-Star Team: Djalma Santos
- Most appearances as a substitute: Denílson
- Most tournament wins as player and coach: Mário Zagallo
- Only player to appear in three consecutive FIFA World Cup finals: Cafu
- Most team awards won: Cafu
- Most cautions: Cafu, shared with Zinedine Zidane and Rafael Márquez