Brazil has won more World Cups than any other nation and the five-time champions have had several near misses too in football’s foremost tournament.
Champions in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, Brazil have also won the Copa América nine times and the South American country has produced some of the finest footballers in history – including Pelé, Garrincha, Ronaldo, Romário, Zico, Neymar and more.
But Brazil’s football legacy goes beyond results, with the legendary 1982 and 1986 teams influencing a number of aspiring coaches with their flowing football and attacking philosophy.
Such a style even coined an expression: jogo bonito. The beautiful game. From World Cup wins to Copa América classics and more, here is a look at some of Brazil’s best ever matches…
32. Brazil 6-0 Australia (1997)
Brazil’s Ro-Ro (Ronaldo and Romário) partnership did not last for long because the latter ended up missing the 1998 World Cup through injury and was not first choice after that. But it was special.
After helping Brazil win the Copa América in June 1997, the two strikers starred in the Confederations Cup final later in the year, scoring a hat-trick apiece as Brazil thrashed Australia 6-0 in Riyadh.
31. Brazil 1 (3) – 1 (4) France (1986)
Brazil’s defeat to France on penalties in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals marked the end of an era for the Seleção, for returning coach Telê Santana and for players like Zico, Sócrates, Falcão and Júnior.
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The South Americans took the lead through Careca after 17 minutes, with Michel Platini equalising for France later in the half. Santana’s side then hit the bar and French goalkeeper Joël Bats saved a penalty from Zico. France had chances too, though, and Les Bleus went on to win 4-3 in a shootout. The match was another World Cup classic, but Brazil had fallen short once again.
30. Brazil 2-1 Soviet Union (1982)
Brazil played some stunning football in the 1982 World Cup and despite defeat to eventual champions Italy and huge disappointment back home, it was a special tournament for Telê Santana’s side.
In their opening match, Brazil came from a goal down to beat the Soviet Union 2-1 thanks to a couple of unbelievable strikes from Sócrates and Éder. It was the start of an impressive run, which featured big wins over Scotland, New Zealand and Argentina before elimination against Italy in the second group stage.
29. Brazil 1-0 Turkey (2002)
Brazil beat Turkey 2-1 in the group stages of the 2002 World Cup and surprisingly, the two teams met again in the semi-finals of the tournament.
The second match was decided by a moment of brillance from Ronaldo, who received a pass from Gilberto Silva four minutes into the second half, raced away from two Turkey defenders and surprised goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber with a powerful toe-poked finish into the corner. Brazil were in the final once again.
28. Brazil 1 (4) – 1 (2) Netherlands (1998)
Ronaldo latched onto a Rivaldo pass to open the scoring for Brazil against the Netherlands in the 1998 World Cup semi-finals, but Patrick Kluivert’s late header forced extra time and an entertaining encounter went all the way to penalties.
In the shootout, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Emerson and Dunga all scored to send the defending champions back to the final after both Phillip Cocu and Ronald de Boer failed to convert their kicks.
27. Chile 1-6 Brazil (2007)
Brazil beat Chile 3-0 in the group stages of the 2007 Copa América, with Robinho netting a hat-trick, and the two teams met again in the quarter-finals of the continental competition.
The sides’ second meeting was an even more one-sided affair, with Robinho on target twice and goals from Juan, Júlio Baptista, Josué and Vágner Love sealing a 6-1 win for Dunga’s men en route to the title in Venezuela. Humberto Suazo scored for Chile.
26. Brazil 3-1 Bolivia (1997)
Bolivia had home advantage for the 1997 Copa América final against Brazil, but goals from Edmundo, Ronaldo and Zé Roberto gave the Seleção a 3-1 victory in the high altitude of La Paz.
Brazil were missing Romário after the striker picked up an injury in the 7-0 semi-final win over Peru, so Edmundo started instead. O Animal gave Brazil the lead from an offside position as he poked home a Denílson drive after Bolivia’s goalkeeper Carlos Trucco had failed to hold a Roberto Carlos free-kick. At the other end, Taffarel should have saved from Erwin Sánchez but misjudged the midfielder’s long-range effort.
Bolivia went on to hit the woodwork several times, while Edmundo got away with punching Luis Cristaldo in the neck and was immediately substituted. Ronaldo then made it 2-1 with a left-footed drive from just inside the area and won the ball back late on for Denílson to set up Zé Roberto for a third goal. It was Brazil’s fifth continental crown and a first outside the country.
25. Argentina 2 (2) – 2 (4) Brazil (2004)
Brazil’s young team at the 2004 Copa América had not been entirely convincing, losing to Paraguay in the group stages and then needing penalties to get past Uruguay in the semi-finals.
In the final, Argentina were big favourites to take the title, but Brazil twice came from behind to level the match – with goals from Luisão and Adriano in added time at the end of each half to cancel out efforts from Kily González and Chelito Delgado. And the Seleção prevailed 4-2 in the shootout to claim the trophy in Lima.
24. Brazil 3-0 Spain (2013)
Brazil warmed up for the 2014 World Cup on home soil by beating defending World and European champions Spain 3-0 in the 2013 Confederations Cup final at the Maracanã.
Two goals from Fred (the former Fluminense and Lyon striker, not the one who played for Manchester United) and another from Neymar sealed an impressive victory. But a year later, Brazil’s World Cup campaign ended in a shambolic 7-1 semi-final loss against Germany in Belo Horizonte.
23. Brazil 2-0 Bulgaria (1966)
Brazil beat Bulgaria in their opening match of the 1966 World Cup, with Garrincha and Pelé both on target in the South Americans’ Group 3 win at Goodison Park.
It was Brazil’s only win at the tournament and was the last time the two legends played together, with Pelé missing the match against Hungary through injury after some brutal treatment from the Bulgarians and Garrincha dropped for the final group game against Portugal as the striker returned. Brazil lost both those games, but were never beaten when Pelé and Garrincha played together for the national team. One for the history books.
22. Brazil 7-0 Peru (1997)
Peru must have known they were in for a difficult evening when Denílson gave Brazil the lead inside a minute of the teams’ Copa América semi-final in June 1997.
A rocket from Flávio Conceição made it two, before a brace apiece from Romário and Leonardo and a late Djalminha effort gave Brazil an incredible 7-0 win in Santa Cruz as they booked their place in the final against hosts Bolivia.
21. England 1-2 Brazil (2002)
Brazil’s World Cup campaign in 2002 was briefly in trouble after Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side went behind to a Michael Owen goal against England in the teams’ quarter-final clash in Shizuoka.
But Ronadinho set up Rivaldo for an equaliser in added time at the end of the first half and five minutes into the second period, the Paris Saint-Germain forward scored himself with an audacious 40-yard lobbed free-kick which caught David Seaman by surprise and flew over the England goalkeeper. Ronaldinho was harshly sent off later in the game, but Brazil held on comfortably to advance to the semi-finals.
20. Uruguay 0-3 Brazil (1999)
Rivaldo and Ronaldo starred as Brazil beat Uruguay 3-0 to retain the Copa América in Paraguayan capital Asunción in July 1999.
After opening the scoring with a glancing header, Rivaldo beat a Uruguay defender with a wonderful piece of control in the area and chipped an exquisite effort into the corner from a tight angle to make it 2-0. Those two goals arrived in the space of seven first-half minutes and at the beginning of the second period, Ronaldo raced away to smash a bouncing ball past Uruguayan goalkeeper Fabián Carini at his near post.
19. Brazil 3-1 England (1962)
With Pelé ruled out of the rest of the tournament through injury, defending champions Brazil were without their star man for much of the 1962 World Cup.
But Garrincha stepped up in Pelé’s absence, scoring twice as Brazil beat England 3-1 in Viña del Mar, with Vavá also on target in the teams’ quarter-final clash. Gerry Hitchens scored England’s goal, but the Three Lions were well beaten and Garrincha went on to add two more in the semi-final win over Czechoslovakia.
18. Brazil 4-1 Argentina (2005)
Brazil took an exciting young team to the Confederations Cup in 2005 and blew away fierce rivals Argentina in a one-sided final in Frankfurt.
The Brazilian side featured Ronaldinho at his peak, the explosive Adriano in attack, plus Kaká and Robinho and the emerging Cicinho at right-back. Goals from Adriano (two), Kaká and Ronaldinho saw Brazil race into a 4-0 lead before a consolation from Pablo Aimar. On that night in Germany, Brazil looked like world beaters, but Carlos Alberto Parreira’s side lost in the World Cup quarter-finals the following year as Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Cafu all returned.
17. Brazil 4-0 Poland (1986)
Brazil’s 1986 team did not quite hit the heights of the 1982 vintage, but Telê Santana’s side were still special at the World Cup in Mexico.
After three wins out of three in the group stages, Brazil turned on the style in a 4-0 victory over Poland in the last 16, as goals from Sócrates, Josimar, Edinho and Careca sealed a place in the quarter-finals. The South Americans were beaten on penalties by France in the last eight following a 1-1 draw in Guadalajara.
16. Brazil 5-1 England (1964)
Brazil won the World Cup for a second time in 1962 and in 1966, England got their hands on the trophy at Wembley. In the middle of those tournaments, the two nations met in a Taça das Nações match at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã.
England sent out a strong side, including Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Jimmy Greaves, but Brazil produced a dominant display in front of almost 80,000 fans to win the match 5-1. Rinaldo scored twice, with one apiece from Pelé, Julinho and Roberto Dias in a one-sided contest. Greaves netted for England early in the second half to briefly level the scores at 1-1.
15. Brazil 1-0 Uruguay (1989)
After their South American Championship success in 1949, Brazil had to wait another 40 years to win another continental crown.
The tournament was played in Brazil and the hosts advanced from the first group phase behind Paraguay after two wins and two draws. And victories over Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay sealed the title for the Seleção as Bebeto and Romário scored three apiece in the final round. Romário netted the winner against the Uruguayans in a group decider to give Brazil their first Copa in four decades in front of an official crowd of 132,743 at the Maracanã.
14. Brazil 7-1 Sweden (1950)
Brazil blasted seven goals past Sweden at the Maracanã in the final round of the 1950 World Cup and at that point, the host nation looked unstoppable.
Ademir scored four, while there were two goals from Chico and another from Maneca in an impressive 7-1 win. Brazil then beat Spain 6-1 and needed only a draw in their final game to be crowned champions, but famously lost 2-1 to Uruguay and had to wait another eight years to win their first World Cup.
13. Argentina 1-3 Brazil (1982)
Argentina needed to beat fierce rivals Brazil to keep their World Cup hopes alive in the second group stage in 1982 and came out on the attack in Barcelona.
But Zico was quickest to react after Júnior’s free-kick had hit the bar on 11 minutes and Brazil went on to extend their advantage through Serginho and Júnior in the second half. Diego Maradona was sent off in the closing stages and although Ramón Díaz pulled a goal back near the end, it was merely a consolation.
12. England 0-1 Brazil (1970)
England versus Brazil at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico pitted the defending champions against the 1958 and 1962 winners. And the teams’ meeting in Guadalajara didn’t disappoint.
Jairzinho scored the only goal of an entertaining game, converting from seven yards out after a pass from Pelé. He would go on to net in every game as Brazil won the title. The match is also remembered for Gordon Banks’ amazing save from Pelé and Bobby Moore’s tackle on Jairzinho.
11. Netherlands 2-3 Brazil (1994)
Brazil edged out the Netherlands in a thrilling quarter-final clash at the 1994 World Cup as goals from Romário, Bebeto and Branco earned a hard-fought 3-2 win for the South Americans.
After scoring Brazil’s second, Bebeto celebrated with his famous rocking baby celebration, with his wife having delivered the couple’s first child two days earlier. It became iconic and has been imitated on numerous occasions since. Dennis Bergkamp and Aron Winter scored for the Dutch – and all five goals came in an entertaining second half in Dallas.
10. Brazil 4-2 Chile (1962)
In the semi-finals of the 1962 World Cup against host nation Chile, Brazil took control of the match thanks to two first-half goals from an inspired Garrincha.
Vavá added two more in the second half as Brazil ran out 4-2 winners in Santiago. Garrincha was sent off in the latter stages, but was allowed to play in the final after an appeal from the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF).
9. Italy 3-2 Brazil (1982)
It might seem strange to include a defeat among Brazil’s best ever matches, but the South Americans’ 3-2 loss to Italy in 1982 was a World Cup classic.
Brazil went into the match leading the sector and only needed a draw to advance, but continued to attack even after levelling Paolo Rossi’s strikes via Sócrates and later Falcão. When Rossi scored for a third time, however, Brazil had no reply. “We had a hell of a team and played with happiness,” Sócrates said. “Then Rossi had three touches and scored a hat-trick. Football as we know it died on that day.”
The defeat was labelled the “Sarrià Tragedy” in Brazil and brought about a shift in philosophy towards a more physical game. However, their style of play won admirers all over the world and in recent years, some Brazilian teams have embraced the ideas of Telê Santana’s side, while the passing philosophy also inspired a generation of coaches across the world.
8. Brazil 3-0 Argentina (2007)
With Roberto Carlos and Cafu both retired and a host of absent stars – including Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká and Adriano – at the 2007 Copa América, it was a new-look Brazil side under former midfielder Dunga.
Argentina, by contrast, lined up in the final with the likes of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Juan Román Riquelme, Juan Sebastián Verón, Javier Zanetti and Javier Mascherano. Brazil took the lead after just four minutes through Júlio Baptista, doubled their advantage with a Roberto Ayala own goal and rounded off an impressive 3-0 win over their fierce rivals with a Dani Alves strike in the second half to retain their Copa crown.
7. Brazil 2-0 USSR (1958)
Brazil beat Austria and drew with England in their opening two group games at the 1958 World Cup, but the South Americans faced the Soviet Union next and were not guaranteed a place in the knockout stages.
Both Pelé and Garrincha were brought into the team for their World Cup debuts and the winger terrorised the Soviet defenders in the opening stages, which has often been described since as “the best three minutes of football” ever. Neither scored, but Vavá did. Twice. One in each half as Brazil advanced as group winners.
6. Brazil 5-2 France (1958)
Brazil thrashed France 5-2 in the semi-finals of the 1958 World Cup, with goals from Vavá, Didí and a second-half hat-trick from 17-year-old Pelé.
The South Americans won emphatically, but the scores had been level at 1-1 until France defender Robert Jonquet suffered a broken leg in the 35th minute. With no substitutions back then, Jonquet played on and although he received a pain-killing injection at half-time which allowed him to stand on two feet, he was effectively useless in what become a one-sided contest. Brazil took advantage and advanced to the final, which the Seleção would win by the same scoreline.
5. Brazil 0 (3) – 0 (2) Italy (1994)
The 1994 World Cup final was not a classic, but Brazil’s win on penalties against Italy in Pasadena gave the South Americans the trophy for the first time since 1970.
After a goalless 120 minutes, Brazil prevailed in the shootout. Márcio Santos saw his penalty saved by Gianluca Pagliuca, but Romário, Branco and Dunga all scored to seal victory as three Italians failed to convert – Daniele Massaro’s effort was saved by Taffarel, with Franco Baresi and Roberto Baggio both blazing their spot-kicks over the bar. It was the first time a World Cup final had been decided on penalties and Brazil became the first national side to win the tournament four times.
4. Germany 0-2 Brazil (2002)
After losing the 1998 World Cup final to France, a match overshadowed by the convulsions suffered by star striker Ronaldo in the build-up, both Brazil and R9 bounced back to win the trophy in 2002.
Ronaldo seized on an Oliver Kahn mistake to make it 1-0 halfway through the second period and added another to seal it after 79 minutes. O Fenômeno finished the tournament as top scorer with eight goals and Brazil became the first team to win the World Cup five times. Pentacampeão.
3. Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia (1962)
Brazil retained the World Cup in 1962, but their task was made more difficult as Pelé was ruled out for the tournament after picking up an injury in the group stages.
After going behind in the final against Czechoslovakia to a Josef Masopust goal with a quarter of an hour played, Brazil hit back just a couple of minutes later through Amarildo and went on to win 3-1 thanks to second-half strikes from Zito and Vavá in Santiago. In winning back-to-back tournaments, Brazil became the first team to defend a World Cup title since Italy in 1938.
2. Brazil 5-2 Sweden (1958)
Brazil’s first World Cup win came in 1958 and featured a 17-year-old Pelé in attack, along with legendary figures such as Garrincha, Didí, Vavá, Mário Zagallo and Nílton Santos.
In the final, Brazil went behind to hosts Sweden as Nils Liedholm netted after just four minutes, but the South Americans stormed back with two goals from Vavá, two from Pelé and another from Zagallo to win 5-2 at the Råsunda Stadium. And their football was so impressive that even the Swedish fans applauded.
1. Brazil 4-1 Italy (1970)
Brazil swept aside European champions Italy with an exhibition of attacking football in the 1970 World Cup final at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.
Pelé, Gerson, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto scored the goals in a stunning 4-1 win for the South Americans. For Pelé, it was a record third World Cup win affter he helped the Seleção claim the trophy in 1958 and 1962. Meanwhile, Jairzinho’s goal meant he had scored in every game and Carlos Alberto’s strike is considered one of the great team goals in World Cup history. Brazil at their brilliant best.
