Soccer in Brazil

Sparkling beaches, carnival, super models, Samba, Amazon rainforest and Soccer! These are a few things this amazing South American country is known for. Yes, it is quintessentially Brazil as we know it! Out of these 5, I think soccer is what people can most relate to, in and about Brazil. This hardly comes as a surprise when some of the best soccer players in the world are from Brazil! From Pele to Roberto Carlos to Ronaldo to Kaka, there has been an incredible pool of talent in Brazil.

History of Soccer in Brazil

It all actually started during the year 1914, when Brazil could hardly manage to put together a national team even by merging of 2 soccer clubs in Brazil, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Years later, in 1930, Brazil participated in the first soccer World Cup. Although it was a fast exit out of the tournament for the team, the game spread everywhere in the country. In the 1938 World Cup Brazilian player Leonidas da Silva scored 4 goals for the first time in a match for Brazil. Then keeping in with the trend, 2 of the best players that Brazil ever had, Pele and Garrincha, emerged on the Brazilian football scene. They carried the tradition ahead and were instrumental in Brazil's monumental success in 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cup tournaments. Then following the footsteps of these 2 were Carlos Dunga, who won the 1994 World cup for Brazil, with the then youngsters like Romario and Cafu.

Around that time, a buck-toothed, awkward 18 year old youngster emerged on the scene to display some amazing skills, Ronaldo. This youngster took world soccer by the scruff of its neck along with Ronaldinho. Now the team in the late 1990s and 2000 was getting stronger and stronger. Soccer in Brazil had come full circle and it had almost become a religion and passion for every Brazilian. In the 2002 World Cup, the team with its fantastic mixture of fresh feet and old war horses, pulled their greatest win in World Cup, eventually becoming the champions.

Facts about Soccer in Brazil

• Brazil is going to host the FIFA 2014 World Cup; the world's largest sports event.
• It has been the country to have won the World Cup for the maximum number of times since the World Cup began.
• Ronaldo, a frontline Brazilian striker, was named the most valuable player after the 1998 World Cup even after Brazil lost to France.
• Maracana Stadium is the most beautiful and well-known stadium in Brazil and the world over.
• Ginga, a Brazilian word or rather a thing refers to the sway a player has in his limbs, which is a very potent way of deceiving the opponent and target the goal post in a breathtaking manner.
• Every city in Brazil has a soccer stadium! No wonder there are so many amazing players from Brazil!
• The most common name used to refer to the Brazilian national team, especially in Brazil, is selecao, which literally means the selection.
• It is believed that history of soccer in Brazil owes its origin to Charles William Miller.

Well, after all this, I don't think I need say more about how passionate the Brazilians are about 'futebol', as they call it! I mean a football stadium in every city is proof enough. It is said that kids in Brazil learn to play soccer before they learn to walk! It would not be very inappropriate to say that soccer is next to, or almost as important as, religion in Brazil. The 'Samba kings' always give their best on the pitch, which also has been evident by Brazil's 2010 FIFA World cup performance. It has been great till now and it seems they are peaking at the right time!

Another amazing thing is that they are coming up with great talent regularly. That is what makes Brazilian soccer very very special. This is where I am going to go off and cheer Brazil! What about you?