Brazil Football Formation

Lineup (4-2-4)

Brazil "Victorious XI" (1970) - The Greatest Team of All Time

Sublime, inventive, breath-taking... words which fail to do justice to the beauty which Brazil's heroes of 1970 gave the world on the biggest stage. This was futebol-arte, this was Pelé in his last World Cup, and this was the side that produced perhaps the finest team goals of all time, in the final against Italy and in league match against England. No wonder they let them keep the trophy. This side was never any bad on defense, yet they did not believe in committing fouls, they believed firmly that they can outscore any team in the planet; and they did that precisely. This team was special – enthralling the crowd with Carnival Football. They washed away their every opponent like swamps in front of sea wave. Pelé, Tostão, Rivelino, Jairzinho, all being the best in business, with Gérson, Carlos Alberto backing up, this team could score anytime from anywhere. While the great Pelé remained occupied with the defenders in general, while occasionally outfoxing them; Jairzinho became the first player to score in every match in World Cup.

This was the last time a coach was allowed to just put his best players in the field and let them play, and win the tournament convincingly in the process (Brazil's 1982 side and 2002 side would come close post-70). When critics suggested that Zagallo's picks like Tostão, Rivelino were too similar to Gérson and Pelé, and essentially along with Jairzinho all these 5 are number 10s in their respective clubs, Zagallo replied, "What this team needs is great players, players who are intelligent. Let’s go with that and see where it takes us."

The final against Italy was billed as a battle for football’s soul, between the futebol arte of the Brazilians and the futebol de resultados - as the Brazilians had it - of the Italians. Art won, but never again would a side enjoy such success simply by throwing their best players on the field and asking them to play.

The 1970 Mexico World Cup now stands, mythically and perhaps in fact, as the apogee of football. In the popular consciousness, it was a festival of attacking football, and the Brazil side that won the tournament - Pelé, Tostão, Gérson, Rivellino et al - is regarded as some unmatchable paradigm, the greatest side the world has known, and probably will ever know.

Was it 4-4-2, was it 4-3-3, was it 4-2-4, was it even 4-5-1? It was all of them and none of them: it was just players on a pitch who complemented each other perfectly. In modern parlance, it would probably have been described as a 4-2-3-1, but such subtleties meant nothing then, particularly when a team like this was appearing on the pitch and boasting with the greatest talents together ever seen.

It is said that this Team could have defeated any team made out of best of the rest of the world. This much remains confirmed, there will never be any team that can match the level set by this Team. Truly the absolute Best…..

Coach/Manager :- Mário Zagallo

Reserves include :- Dario, Edu, Fontana, Ado, Marco Antônio, Joel and Paulo César.