With five World Cup wins the Selecao has an unmatched prestige in international football, and have also boasted some of the game's greatest players
Few nations, if any, can match Brazil's storied past as a footballing nation. But who is the greatest player to ever represent the Selecao? Goal ranks the top 20 to have ever worn the famous yellow jersey…
Getty20Gerson
While Pele was his team's symbol and Jairzinho and Tostao the goalscorers, Gerson was the man that made Brazil's famous 1970 World Cup winning side tick.
The former star is considered one of the best passers football has ever known, a worthy successor to the great Didi in the national team who bounced back from 1966's disappointment to thrill the world in Mexico.
AdvertisementGetty19Claudio Taffarel
With such brilliant attacking stars lighting up Brazil's football history, it is not easy for a goalkeeper to make his name. But Claudio Taffarel has his own place in the annals thanks to his heroics in bringing home World Cup number four for the Selecao.
The devout Christian's prayers prior to that do or die penalty shoot-out against Italy in the 1994 World Cup final form an iconic image from that tournament, as he made a decisive save from Daniele Massaro before Roberto Baggio blazed over the bar to hand Brazil the trophy.
In all Taffarel represented his nation at three World Cup finals, helping them to a runners-up spot in 1998, while his club career saw him win major honours in his native Brazil as well as national and international titles at Italy's Parma and Turkish giants Galatasaray.
Getty18Marcelo
When Roberto Carlos retired from international football Brazil fans might have been forgiven for thinking nobody could step into his boots. They were wrong.
Marcelo has become a great in his own right over a decade of unbroken success for Real Madrid, and it is difficult to imagine the Merengue reaching the heights of four Champions League crowns in the last five years without their Brazilian superstar.
He may at times seem more interested in scoring goals than stopping them, but Marcelo has few real rivals when it comes to picking the best left-back of the last generation.
Getty17Rivaldo
For a time around the turn of the millennium it appeared that for aspiring Brazil stars a catchy nickname beginning with the letter R was obligatory. Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos were ruling the roost – and so was Rivaldo, the Selecao's midfield playmaker extraordinaire.
Having risen to fame first with Palmeiras and then in Spain as part of Deportivo's famous 'Super Depor' side of the 1990s, Rivaldo became an idol with Barcelona during five seasons of awesome creative and attacking play. That time at Camp Nou yielded two Liga titles, while he was also a pivotal part of the 2002 World Cup winning side.