Brazil Football Formation

Lineup (4-3-3)

Gilmar · Domingos da Guia · Carlos Alberto (c) · Nilton Santos · Djalma Santos · Didi · Gérson · Zizinho · Pelé · Garrincha · Leônidas

Brazil's All time Greatest XI "Placar's version" (1997)

Making an All-Time Brazil team is as enjoyable as it is difficult. You can’t field a team with 11 playmakers and forwards. So hard choices have to be made. We all love Sócrates, but was he better than Zico? What’s more important: Romário’s longevity or Ronaldo’s peak brilliance? What to do with the old masters Zizinho and Leônidas?

Throughout the years, there have been several attempts to make an All-Time Brazil team.

In 1994, the newspaper Folha de São Paulo came up with a formation that puts, perhaps, an excessive prime on old age. Of the 11 players, 9 were active in a World Cup from the 1950′s or earlier. It reserves central places for legends of the era before television: Zizinho, Da Guia and Leônidas. In addition, six players from the 1958 side are featured.

Three years later, Placar magazine had their own take:

Compared to the previous team, it makes only a few changes. It takes out central defender Luis Pereira – a player best known for a karate kick foul on Johan Neeskens – and brings in Djalma Santos. Given that Djalma has 98 caps and was a member of three World Cup All Star Teams, compared to only 38 caps and 1 World Cup for Luis Pereira, that seems like a justified decision. It does mean that Carlos Alberto is moved to the centre – but that is a spot where he could play superbly as well. The only other change made is replacing 1958 Defensive Midfielder Zito with the midfield master of the 1970 team: Gérson.

So, who would we choose as a Coach/Manager for this team?
My pick is Mário Zagallo and Vicente Feola.

The reserves can be a choice of hundreds... Pick any good player right from the times of Ademir to the times of Kaká.