It’s been a poor summer for the Brazil national team. Not only did the Selecao crash out of Copa America, the Brazilian players had to face the ignominy of accusations of being boring. Ronaldinho was the chief critic, poking fun at the team’s lethargy and lack of entertainers, even posting a meme suggesting the team had sent him to sleep.
While not everyone agrees with Ronaldinho, and, by all accounts, Euro 2024 has been dubbed just as dull, it is fair to say the Brazil we got at the Copa America was not the Brazil we are used to. Players in the past have been characterized by flair, silky skills, and the ability to bring joy to fans through Samba soccer.
Of course, Brazil will be back, as there is no holding back the soccer-mad nation. Yet, we are left to an extent longing for what we used to have. In light of that, we present the best 5 modern Brazilan soccer players, the quintet that – for us – has been the best of the 21st century so far:
Ronaldo (Nazario)
For some, he’s the one and only Ronaldo, even if his Portuguese namesake has eclipsed many of his records. That said, the player known as Il Fenomeno was a force of nature, considered by many as the best striker of his generation (and perhaps of all time), a fact underlined by his two World Cup winners’ medals and three FIFA World Player of the Year Awards. The really intriguing aspect is that we arguably never got to see how good he was in his prime, as he suffered a series of knee injuries that changed the trajectory of his career. Despite playing through pain, he was still the best in the world.
Ronaldinho
The inspiration for this piece, there are few soccer players who brought as much joy to the sport as Ronaldinho. Known for his physics-defying skills and trickery, the Brazilian magician bamboozled opposition players. His joie de vivre on the pitch gave rise to the erroneous assumption that Ronaldinho didn’t take soccer seriously enough, but he did and has the accolades to show for it. Ronaldinho has been busy since retiring, engaging in Brazilian politics. He even has his own slot game, Ronaldinho Spins, which can be found on the social gaming site Sports Millions. He’s also an ambassador for Barcelona, the club where he found the most success.
Neymar Jnr
Is it fair to say that Neymar’s career has been a disappointment? Sure, he is the most expensive soccer player in history and he was wonderful for Barcelona and PSG, yet injury and other factors meant that he arguably did not scale the heights that his potential suggested he would. Still, on his day, there was few who could hold a candle to the skillful and deceptively-strong Neymar. His best days were as part of the Holy Trinity for Barcelona, playing alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. Arguably, the threesome formed the key part of the best soccer side in history.
Kaka
Often overlooked in the canon of the world’s greatest soccer players, Kaka’s star shone brightest in the mid-to-late 2000s, culminating in his 2007 Ballon d’Or win. Kaka’s combination of pace, vision, and goal-scoring ability made him one of the most complete attacking midfielders of his generation. Somewhat like Neymar, he was incredibly strong despite looking like a feather would blow him over. He was at the top for only a short period, but it was beautiful to behold.
Vinicius Junior
We will finish with a player who still has much to prove in his career, but all the attributes are there for Real Madrid to start to become the best Brazilian of the 2020s and perhaps beyond. “Vini” is still only 23, and he is arguably only coming into his prime now. It took him some time to adapt to life in Spain and Real Madrid, but he is now a key part of the Champions League winners. The key question about his ascent to superstardom is whether he will be able to play alongside Madrid’s new star man, Kyliann Mbappé. It would be a shame if the Frenchman’s arrival caused a blip in Vini’s trajectory to becoming the best player in the world.
Honorable Mentions must go to Rivlado, a player who arguably peaked in the late 1990s, Roberto Carlos, who is in the conversation for greatest left-back of all-time, and Dani Alves, who has won more trophies than we can possibly list here.