The Brazil national football team (Portuguese: Seleção Brasileira de Futebol) represents Brazil in men's international football and is administered by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), the governing body for football in Brazil. They have been a member of FIFA since 1923 and a member of CONMEBOL since 1916.
Brazil is the most successful national team in the FIFA World Cup, being crowned winner five times: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. The Seleção also has the best overall performance in the World Cup competition, both in proportional and absolute terms, with a record of 73 victories in 109 matches played, 124 goal difference, 237 points, and 18 losses.[12][13] Brazil is the only national team to have played in all World Cup editions without any absence nor need for playoffs.[14]
In relation to ranking standings Brazil fare well, having the highest average football Elo rating since 1970, and the fourth all-time peak football Elo Rating established in 1962. In FIFA's ranking system Brazil holds the record for most Team of the Year wins with 12.[15] Many commentators, experts and former players have considered the Brazil team of 1970 to be the greatest football team ever.[16][17][18][19][20] Other Brazilian teams are also highly estimated and regularly appear listed among the best teams of all time, such as the Brazil teams of 1958–62, with honorary mentions for the gifted 1982 side.[21][22][23][24]
Brazil is the only national team to have won the World Cup on four different continents: once in Europe (1958 Sweden), once in South America (1962 Chile), twice in North America (1970 Mexico and 1994 United States) and once in Asia (2002 Korea/Japan). They share with France and Argentina the feat to have won the three most important men's football titles overseen by FIFA: the World Cup, the Confederations Cup, and the Olympic tournament.[note 1] They also share with Spain a record of 35 consecutive matches undefeated.[25]
Brazil has many rivals due to its successes, with notable rivalries with Argentina—known as the Superclássico das Américas in Portuguese, Italy—known as the Clásico Mundial in Spanish or the World Derby in English,[26][27] Uruguay due to the traumatic Maracanazo,[28] France due to the fact that they usually have difficulties against France in World Cups,[29] the Netherlands due to several important meetings between the two teams at World Cups, and the style of play of the two teams being considered similar,[30] and Portugal due to shared cultural traits and heritage, as well as the large number of Brazilian-born players in Portugal.[31][32] Brazil has also produced players considered as the best of the world at their time and among the best in history, such are the cases of Pelé (widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time), Didi, Nilton Santos, Djalma Santos, Garrincha, Rivellino, Tostão, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto, Sócrates, Zico, Falcão, Romário, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká, Daniel Alves, Marcelo and Neymar. A common quip about football is: "Os ingleses o inventaram, os brasileiros o aperfeiçoaram" (The English invented it, the Brazilians perfected it).
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