Soccer players are Brazil’s gift to the world
Soccer in Brazil is like a religion. No other country produces a stream of world-class soccer players as consistently and as frequently as Brazil. From the beaches of Copacabana to the Rio slums, you will find youngsters kicking a ball around no matter what their living condition.
Indeed, the attraction for soccer is its simple rules, spectacular skills and the fact that it can be played anywhere with little cost. Almost anything can be a soccer field for those who are keen to kick a ball around.
With such talent, it is no surprise that Brazil have won a record five World Cup titles, the last one coming in 2002.
Of course, Brazilians have many soccer heroes to look up to. Among the early stars was Garrincha, or Little Bird, who was a devastating winger in the 50s despite having a slight limp.
He was quickly followed by Pele, who is recognized all over the world as the greatest player of all time. Pele was instrumental in Brazil’s World Cup win in 1970, which many experts regard as the greatest national team of all time.
Zico, Socrates and Romario are also legendary players while, in modern times, players such as Ronaldinho and Ronaldo carry the flag for Brazil.
Soccer is a great escape for Brazilian youngsters, which is why many kids spend time on the streets perfecting their skills and training to be professionals. Soccer has helped to take many less privileged kids from poverty to riches, although for every success story there are dozens who fail to make the grade.
While Brazil has an active domestic league, in recent years many of their best players have left their own country for the riches of Europe.
Ronaldinho himself is a regular with Spanish giants Barcelona while Ronaldo was with their rivals Real Madrid.
Lesser known Brazilian players can also make a decent living in other international leagues. Don’t be surprised to see Brazilians lining up for clubs in such places as Vietnam and India.