Drag a position anywhere and the label updates live. Tap a name to fill the open spot, tap ✕ to free a position.
Pick the greater legend. Every vote moves the people's ranking of Brazil.
Ranked by the almanac. Vote in the duels to build the people's version.
99
Pelé 92 caps · 77 goals · Bauru Atlético Clube, Santos · South American Footballer of the Year 1973On 19 November 1969 the Maracanã stopped while photographers swarmed the pitch and 80,000 Vasco supporters cheered Pelé, who had just converted the penalty that was his thousandth goal. He is the only man with three World Cups, scoring twice in the 1958 final at seventeen, and he took the Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup with Santos in both 1962 and 1963 along with five Taça Brasil titles.
SS1957–71
96
Ronaldinho 97 caps · 33 goals · Grêmio FBPA, FC Barcelona · Ballon d'Or 2005Twice at the Bernabéu on 19 November 2005 he cut in from the left and scored in a 3-0 win, and at the final whistle the crowd rose to applaud him, an honour Madrid had given no Barcelona player since Maradona. He won the 2002 World Cup, the 2006 Champions League, La Liga in 2005 and 2006, the Ballon d'Or in 2005, FIFA's world player award in 2004 and 2005, and the Copa Libertadores with Atlético Mineiro in 2013.
LM1999–2013
94
Rivaldo 74 caps · 35 goals · FC Barcelona, Olympiacos · Ballon d'Or 1999Three goals on the last day of the 2000/01 season, the third a chested overhead kick in the 87th minute at the Camp Nou on 17 June 2001, put Barcelona into the Champions League and left Valencia out. He won the 2002 World Cup with five goals in Japan and Korea, the Ballon d'Or in 1999, the Copa América in 1999 as its top scorer, two Liga titles with Barcelona and the 2003 Champions League with Milan.
CAM1999–2003
93
Falcão 28 caps · 6 goals · S.C. Internacional, AS RomaSarrià, 5 July 1982: Júnior rolled the ball to him twenty yards from Italy's goal and he drove it in with his weaker foot for 2-2, six minutes before Paolo Rossi settled the tie and sent Brazil home. Rome crowned him its eighth king after the 1983 scudetto, and he also took three Brazilian titles with Internacional, two Coppa Italia, and the silver ball as second-best player of the 1982 World Cup.
CM1982–83
92
Djalma Santos 98 caps · Associação Portuguesa de Desportos, Sociedade Esportiva PalmeirasThe 1962 final in Santiago turned on his lofted cross from the right, which goalkeeper Viliam Schrojf misjudged, letting Vavá head in Brazil's third. Two World Cups came his way, in 1958 and 1962, plus selection to three World Cup All-Star teams, a distinction shared only with Franz Beckenbauer, 98 caps for Brazil, two Brazilian championships with Palmeiras, and not a single sending-off.
RB1952–68
92
Jairzinho Olympique de Marseille, Kaizer ChiefsSix matches at Mexico 1970, six matches with his name on the scoresheet, including Brazil's third goal in the 4-1 final against Italy on 21 June: no one has done that at a World Cup before or since. He left the tournament with seven goals and a winner's medal, took the 1976 Copa Libertadores with Cruzeiro, and won the 1968 Brazilian championship and four Rio state titles with Botafogo.
RM1968–76
92
Rivellino 92 caps · 26 goals · S.C. Corinthians Paulista, FluminenseMexican crowds at the 1970 World Cup named his left foot the patada atómica, the atomic kick, after the free kick that bent round the Czechoslovak wall in Guadalajara on 3 June. Brazil's number 11 won the 1970 World Cup and made the tournament's all-star team, took third place in 1978, and collected two Rio championships at Fluminense and a Saudi league title at Al-Hilal.
CAM1965–81
92
Roberto Carlos 125 caps · Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, Real Madrid Club de FútbolLyon, 3 June 1997: Deschamps fouled Romário 35 metres out, and the left back struck a free kick so far off line that Barthez never moved, before it bent back, clipped the post and went in. He won the 2002 World Cup, Copa América in 1997 and 1999, three European Cups with Real Madrid between 1998 and 2002, four Spanish titles, and finished as Ballon d'Or runner-up in 2002 with 125 caps for Brazil.
LB1997–2002
91
Ademir de Menezes 39 caps · 32 goals · Sport Club do Recife, CR Vasco da GamaQueixada, the jaw, put four past Sweden at the Maracanã on 9 July 1950 in a 7-1 that came seven days before Uruguay silenced the same ground. He finished the tournament as its top scorer with a runners-up medal, won the 1949 South American Championship with a hat-trick in the playoff against Paraguay, and at Vasco da Gama collected the 1948 South American club title and five Carioca championships.
ST1948–50
91
Carlos Alberto Torres 53 caps · Fluminense, SantosWith four minutes left at the Azteca on 21 June 1970, Pelé rolled the ball square into his path and he hit it first time, low past Enrico Albertosi, for the fourth in Brazil's 4-1 win over Italy. He was the captain who lifted the 1970 World Cup, and beyond it came 53 caps, five Paulista titles with Santos, three Carioca championships with Fluminense in 1964, 1975 and 1976, and four Soccer Bowls with the New York Cosmos.
RB1964–76
91
Gérson 70 caps · 14 goals · Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, Botafogo F.R.Italy had held Brazil level for twenty-nine minutes of the 1970 final when his left foot broke it in the 66th minute, and five minutes later he floated the free kick Pelé headed down for Jairzinho. The 1970 World Cup, with its Silver Ball and an all-star place, the 1968 Taça Brasil and two Rio championships with Botafogo, two Paulista titles with São Paulo, and 14 goals in 70 games for the country that called him the little golden left foot.
CM1968–70
91
Tostão 54 caps · 32 goals · América Futebol Clube, Cruzeiro E.C. · Hall of Fame 2007A ball struck him in the face against Corinthians in 1969 and detached his retina; he went to Mexico the next summer anyway and played 1970 by dropping off the front line to open it. He won the 1970 World Cup with two goals and four assists, was South American Footballer of the Year in 1971, scored 249 goals in 378 games for Cruzeiro, took the 1966 Taça Brasil off Pelé's Santos, and retired at 27.
SS1966–71
90
Domingos da Guia 30 caps · Bangu Atlético Clube, Clube de Regatas do FlamengoDefenders in the 1930s cleared the ball; he dribbled out of his own penalty area instead, often enough that Brazil coined a word for it, the domingada, later used for his mistakes too. Third at the 1938 World Cup and in its all-star team, best player of the 1945 South American Championship, and a title winner in three countries: Uruguay with Nacional in 1933, Argentina with Boca Juniors in 1935, Brazil with Vasco and Flamengo.
CB1931–46
90
Lúcio 105 caps · Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Bayern MunichBrazilian crowds called him O Cavalo, the Horse, for the galloping runs that carried him out of his own penalty area and deep into opposition territory before anyone thought to close him down. He won the 2002 World Cup playing every minute of Brazil's seven matches, then anchored Inter's 2010 treble of Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia, adding three Bundesliga titles at Bayern Munich.
CB1997–2014
89
Gilmar 94 caps · S.C. Corinthians Paulista, SantosSweden 1958 brought Brazil their first world title, and Gilmar conceded four goals in six matches on the way, then five more across six games in Chile four years later. He remains the only goalkeeper to start and win two World Cups, and at Santos he took the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup in both 1962 and 1963, along with five consecutive Taça Brasil titles from 1961 and 94 caps for Brazil.
GK1958–63
The three highest rated names in Brazil's pool are Pelé, Garrincha and Ronaldinho. The 33 covers 3 goalkeepers, 8 defenders, 16 midfielders and 6 forwards. 6 players reach the Immortal tier or higher. Pick a formation, drag your eleven onto the pitch, then settle the duels below. Your votes reorder the people's ranking of these 33 in real time.
A 33 is a set of decisions, and these are the players who lost their place in the last revision of Brazil's list. Every one of them has a case.
Disagree? That is the point. Settle it in the duels above.