In that competition they had what many older Brazilians still think was the greatest Brazilian side ever, which hammered everybody, and then in the final, with the whole country already celebrating, came up against Uruguay. Unfortunately the Uruguayans hadn’t read the script and won 2–1, a national trauma that still haunts popular memory nearly fifty years on.

Yet success was not long in coming. A series of great teams, all with Pelé as playmaker, won the World Cup in Stockholm in 1958 (the only World Cup won by a South American team in Europe), Chile in 1962 and, most memorably of all, 1970 in Mexico. Mexico saw the side that is now widely regarded as the greatest in football history, with Pelé playing alongside such great names as Jairzinho, Rivelino, Carlos Alberto, Gerson and Tostão. As three-time winners, Brazil also got to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy, the original World Cup. Most also agree that the 1982 Brazilian team built around Socrates, Falcão, Eder and Cerezo was extraordinary, although they lost 3–2 to the eventual winners, Italy, in one of the greatest matches in football history.

It took Brazil until 1994 to reclaim the World Cup, deservedly beating Italy on penalties in a dramatic climax to what had been an occasionally dull final. It touched off enormous popular rejoicing, as Brazil became the first country to win the World Cup for the fourth time. This was a triumph built on such un-Brazilian virtues as a combative rather than a creative midfield, and a solid defence. Only in attack, where the genius of Romário found the perfect foil in Bebeto, was the 1994 side truly Brazilian.

Four years later, Brazil looked well placed to defend their crown in France, but despite the galaxy of stars they had lined up – including the prodigy Ronaldo – they had an unconvincing campaign, were slightly lucky to get to the final, and then lost to a good but not great French side to whom they were clearly superior on paper. This loss crystallized a feeling of unease at home about the direction of the national side, which was widely felt to have sold out to commercial interests, with stars making their living in Europe and forgetting their roots.

There is something to this: the 1990s did see an unprecedented amount of money pouring into Brazilian football, and the fact that the national side did not manage to score a single goal in open play in two World Cup finals would have been unthinkable to the 1970 and 1982 sides. But the favelas and small towns, to whom football offers a glittering exit route, are a permanent conveyor belt of talent, and Brazil will always be a contender at the highest level. The 2002 campaign, when the team will be built around Ronaldo (if fit) up front, Rivaldo in midfield, Roberto Carlos at the back and A.N. Other in goal will be no exception.

Teams and shirts

Brazilian football shirts, true to national character, are stylish and much more colourful than their European equivalents. They make great souvenirs. Costs range from around $30 for an official repro shirt bought at a sports shop, to around $10 for unauthorized cotton copies available in any clothes shop. The most common ones you will see are the red and black hoops of Flamengo, the green and maroon stripes of Fluminense, the white and black diagonal stripe of Vasco, the white with red and black hoop of São Paulo, and the blue, white and black stripes of Grêmio. The instantly recognizable national shirt, canary yellow and nicknamed canarinho, is also ubiquitous.

Going to a match

The number of regional championships and national play-offs means there is football virtually all the year round in Brazil – the national championship is a complicated mix of state leagues and national sudden-death play-offs. Even though many major Brazilian stars play in Europe these days, there is still enough domestic talent to support very high-quality football.