Brazil
'Greatest of all time': Pelé as described by his peers
Pele has been praised over the decades by everyone from world leaders to artists. Here are superlatives from over the years about Pele, who died Thursday in Brazil at age 82:
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“To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full.” — Nelson Mandela.
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“I told myself before the game, he’s made of skin and bones just like everyone else — but I was wrong.” — Italy's Tarcisio Burgnich, after playing against Pele in the 1970 World Cup Final.
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“Pelé was one of the few who contradicted my theory: Instead of 15 minutes of fame, he will have 15 centuries.” — Andy Warhol.
Read more: Pelé remembered for transcending football around world
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“I sometimes feel as though football was invented for this magical player.” — Sir Bobby Charlton, retired England great who won 1966 World Cup and Ballon d’Or in same year.
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“Pelé was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic.” — Johan Cruyff, the late Dutch star and standout manager who won the Ballon d’Or three times.
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“He is the most complete player I ever saw.” — Retired German great Franz Beckenbauer.
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“If you take the qualities of Cristiano Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi, put them together, then you’d have a player to compare to Pelé!” — Retired Brazil forward Tostao.
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“The best player ever? Pelé. (Lionel) Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pelé was better.” — Alfredo Di Stefano, the late Argentine star for Real Madrid.
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“His great secret was improvisation. Those things he did were in one moment. He had an extraordinary perception of the game.” — Brazil defender Carlos Alberto Torres.
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“This debate about the player of the century is absurd. There’s only one possible answer: Pelé. He’s the greatest player of all time, and by some distance, I might add.” — Retired Brazil star Zico.
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“The greatest player in history was Di Stefano. I refuse to classify Pelé as a player. He was above that.” — Hungary star Ferenc Puskas.
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“We went up together to head a ball. I was taller, had a better impulse. When I came back down, I looked up in astonishment. Pelé was still there, in the air, heading that ball. It was like he could stay suspended for as long as he wanted to.” — Italy defender Giacinto Facchetti.
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“When I saw Pelé play, it made me feel I should hang up my boots.” — Just Fontaine, the Morocco-born French star who scored 13 goals in six games in the 1958 World Cup.
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“The moment the ball arrived at Pelé’s feet, football transformed into poetry.” — Italian poet Pier Paolo Pasolini.
Read more: Pelé set the standard for greatness in the land of his sport
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“The difficulty, the extraordinary, is not to score 1,000 goals like Pelé — it’s to score one goal like Pelé.” — Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Brazilian poet.
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“Pelé was the most complete player I’ve ever seen. Two good feet. Magic in the air. Quick. Powerful. Could beat people with skill. Could outrun people. Only 5-feet-8 inches tall, yet he seemed a giant of an athlete on the pitch. Perfect balance and impossible vision.” — Bobby Moore, captain of the 1966 World Cup champion team from England.
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“I arrived hoping to stop a great man, but I went away convinced I had been undone by someone who was not born on the same planet as the rest of us.” — Benfica goalkeeper Costa Pereira after 5-2 loss to Santos.
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“There’s Pelé the man, and then Pelé the player. And to play like Pelé is to play like God.” — Retired France star and three-time Ballon d’Or winner Michel Platini.
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“Pelé is the greatest player in football history, and there will only be one Pelé in the world.” — Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal star forward.
Pele: The Greatest Football Legend of All Time
Pele is one of the most famous and beloved athletes of all time. He is a football legend who has earned the nickname “The King of Football” for his incredible accomplishments on and off the pitch. Throughout his career, Pele has set records, won trophies, and inspired millions of people around the world. From his humble beginnings as a Brazilian footballer to becoming a global icon, Pele’s story is one of determination, dedication, and drive. “The King Pele” is more than just a football player; he is an inspirational figure who continues to be revered in the world of sports.
Framing the achievements and contributions of Pele in a short range is quite challenging. Still, let’s take a look at the life, career, and achievements of soccer legend Pele at a glance.
Pele's Early Life
Pele was born in a slum in Tres Coracoes, Brazil, on October 23, 1940, to be precise. As the first child of a poor family, Pele had to work in a tea shop as a child to make a living for his family. In addition to sweeping the railway station, he also worked cleaning shoes for a few days. Pele's full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. His parents named him after the world-famous scientist Thomas Alva Edison.
As 'The King,' Pelé enchanted fans and dazzled opponents
Pelé was simply “The King.” He embraced “the beautiful game” of soccer in his 1958 World Cup debut for Brazil and never really let go.
He won a record three World Cups and was widely regarded as one of his sport's greatest players. His majestic and galvanizing presence set him among the most recognizable figures in the world.
Pelé died Thursday at 82. He had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021.
Pelé was among the game’s most prolific scorers and spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents. His grace, athleticism and moves on soccer’s highest stage transfixed all. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style of play that revolutionized the sport — a flair that personified Brazilian elegance on the field.
He carried his country to soccer’s heights and became a global ambassador for his sport in a journey that began on the streets of Sao Paulo state, where he would kick a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags.
“Pelé changed everything. He transformed football into art, entertainment,” Neymar, a fellow Brazilian soccer player, said on Instagram. “Football and Brazil elevated their standing thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will endure. Pelé is eternal!”
Read more: Pelé, Brazil’s mighty king of ‘beautiful game,’ has died
In the conversation about soccer’s greatest player, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside him.
Different sources, counting different sets of games, list Pelé’s goal totals anywhere between 650 (league matches) to 1,281 (all senior matches, some against low-level competition). When Maradona once interviewed Pelé, he playfully asked the Brazilian how he accumulated so many goals.
The player who would be dubbed “The King” was introduced to the world at 17 at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the youngest player ever at the tournament.
Pelé was the emblem of his country’s World Cup triumph of 1970 in Mexico. He scored in the final and set up Carlos Alberto with a nonchalant pass for the last goal in a 4-1 victory over Italy.
The image of Pelé in a bright-yellow Brazil jersey, with the No. 10 stamped on the back, remains alive with soccer fans everywhere. As does his trademark goal celebration — a leap with a right fist thrust high above his head.
Pelé’s fame was such that in 1967 factions of a civil war in Nigeria agreed to a brief cease-fire so he could play an exhibition match in the country. He was knighted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in 1997. When Pelé visited Washington to help popularize the game in North America, it was the U.S. president who stuck out his hand first.
"You don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pelé is,” Ronald Reagan said.
Pelé was Brazil’s first modern Black national hero but rarely spoke about racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to hail from the white minority.
Opposing fans taunted Pelé with monkey chants at home and all over the world.
“He said that he would never play if he had to stop every time he heard those chants," said Angelica Basthi, one of Pelé’s biographers. "He is key for Black people’s pride in Brazil, but never wanted to be a flagbearer.”
Pelé’s life after soccer took many forms. He was a politician — Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport — a wealthy businessman, and an ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations.
He had roles in movies, soap operas and even composed songs and recorded CDs of popular Brazilian music.
Pelé was an ambassador for his sport until his final years but as his health deteriorated his travels and appearances became less frequent. After needing a hip replacement, he started using a cane.
Read more: Pelé’s family gathers at hospital in Sao Paulo
He was often seen in a wheelchair during his final years and did not attend a ceremony to unveil a statue of him representing Brazil’s 1970 World Cup team.
“He gets very shy, he gets very embarrassed," his son Edinho told Globoesporte.com. "He doesn’t want to go out.”
Pelé spent his 80th birthday with a few relatives.
Pelé spent a month hospitalized in 2021 after surgery to remove a tumor from his colon. Pelé said he was ready “to play 90 minutes, plus extra time,” but soon started chemotherapy.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, in the small city of Tres Coracoes in the interior of Minas Gerais state on Oct. 23, 1940, Pelé grew up shining shoes to buy his modest soccer gear. His father was also a player.
Pelé’s talent drew notice when he was 11, and a local professional player brought him to Santos’ youth squads. Despite his youth and 5-foot-8 frame Pelé’ scored against grown men with the same ease he displayed against friends back home. He debuted with the Brazilian club at 15 in 1956, and the club quickly gained worldwide recognition.
The name Pelé came from him mispronouncing the name of a player called Bilé. He later became known simply as ‘O Rei’ – The King.
Pelé went to the 1958 World Cup as a reserve but became a key part for his country’s championship team. His first goal, in which he flicked the ball over the head of a defender and raced around him to volley it home, was voted as one of the best in World Cup history.
“When Pelé scored,” veteran Swedish midfielder Sigge Parling said, “I have to be honest and say I felt like applauding.”
The 1966 World Cup in England — won by the hosts — was a bitter one for Pelé, by then already considered the world’s top player. Brazil was knocked out at the group stage and Pelé, angry at fouls and hard tackles by Portugal, swore it was his last World Cup.
He changed his mind and was rejuvenated in the 1970 World Cup. In a game against England, he struck a header for a certain score, but the great goalkeeper Gordon Banks flipped the ball over the bar in an astonishing move. Pelé likened the save — one of the best in World Cup history — to a “salmon climbing up a waterfall.” Later, he scored the opening goal in the final against Italy, his last World Cup match.
Read more: Image of Pelé shines bright for Brazilian fans at World Cup
In all, Pelé played 114 matches with Brazil, scoring a record 95 goals — including 77 in official matches. Most of his goals came with Santos, which he led to five national titles, two Copa Libertadores trophies and two club world championships — all in the 1960s.
His run with Santos stretched over three decades until he went into semi-retirement after the 1972 season. Wealthy European clubs tried to sign him, but the Brazilian government intervened to keep him from being sold, declaring him a national treasure.
On the field, Pelé’s energy, vision and imagination drove a gifted Brazilian national team, with intricate passing combinations slicing defenses while leaving room for players to showcase flashy skills.
The fast, fluid style of play exemplified “O Jogo Bonito” — Portuguese for “The Beautiful Game.” And at the center of it all, like a maestro in command of his orchestra, was Pelé. It was his 1977 autobiography, “My Life and the Beautiful Game,” that made the phrase part of soccer’s lexicon.
In 1975, he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. Although he was past his prime at 34 years old, Pelé briefly gave soccer a higher profile in North America before ending his career on Oct. 1, 1977, in an exhibition between the Cosmos and Santos. Among the dignitaries on hand was perhaps the only other athlete whose renown spanned the globe — Muhammad Ali.
Pelé had two daughters out of wedlock and five children from his first two marriages, to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi and Assiria Seixas Lemos. He later married businesswoman Marcia Cibele Aoki.
Pelé, Brazil’s mighty king of ‘beautiful game,’ has died
Pelé, the Brazilian king of football who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died Thursday. He was 82.
The standard-bearer of “the beautiful game” had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. He had been hospitalised for the last month with multiple ailments.
His agent Joe Fraga confirmed his death.
Widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, Pelé spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents as the game’s most prolific scorer with Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team.
His grace, athleticism and mesmerising moves transfixed players and fans. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style that revolutionised the sport — a samba-like flair that personified his country’s elegance on the field.
He carried Brazil to football’s heights and became a global ambassador for his sport in a journey that began on the streets of Sao Paulo state, where he would kick a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags.
In the conversation about football’s greatest players, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside Pelé.
Different sources, counting different sets of games, list Pelé’s goal totals anywhere between 650 (league matches) and 1,281 (all senior matches, some against low-level competition.)
The player who would be dubbed “The King” was introduced to the world at 17 at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the youngest player ever at the tournament. He was carried off the field on teammates’ shoulders after scoring two goals in Brazil’s 5-2 victory over the host country in the final.
Injury limited him to just two games when Brazil retained the world title in 1962, but Pelé was the emblem of his country’s World Cup triumph of 1970 in Mexico. He scored in the final and set up Carlos Alberto with a nonchalant pass for the last goal in a 4-1 victory over Italy.
The image of Pelé in a bright, yellow Brazil jersey, with the No. 10 stamped on the back, remains alive with football fans everywhere. As does his trademark goal celebration -- a leap with a right fist thrust high above his head.
Pelé’s fame was such that in 1967 factions of a civil war in Nigeria agreed to a brief cease-fire so he could play an exhibition match in the country. He was knighted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in 1997. When he visited Washington to help popularise the game in North America, it was the US president who stuck out his hand first.
“My name is Ronald Reagan, I’m the president of the United States of America,” the host said to his visitor. “But you don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pelé is.”
Pelé was Brazil’s first modern Black national hero but rarely spoke about racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to hail from the white minority.
Opposing fans taunted Pelé with monkey chants at home and all over the world.
“He said that he would never play if he had to stop every time he heard those chants,” said Angelica Basthi, one of Pelé’s biographers. “He is key for Black people’s pride in Brazil, but never wanted to be a flagbearer.”
Pelé’s life after football took many forms. He was a politician -- Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport -- a wealthy businessman, and an ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations.
He had roles in movies, soap operas and even composed songs and recorded CDs of popular Brazilian music.
As his health deteriorated, his travels and appearances became less frequent. He was often seen in a wheelchair during his final years and did not attend a ceremony to unveil a statue of him representing Brazil’s 1970 World Cup team. Pelé spent his 80th birthday isolated with a few family members at a beach home.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, in the small city of Tres Coracoes in the interior of Minas Gerais state on October 23, 1940, Pelé grew up shining shoes to buy his modest football gear.
Pelé’s talent drew attention when he was 11, and a local professional player brought him to Santos’ youth squads. It didn’t take long for him to make it to the senior squad.
Despite his youth and 5-foot-8 frame, he scored against grown men with the same ease he displayed against friends back home. He debuted with the Brazilian club at 16 in 1956, and the club quickly gained worldwide recognition.
The name Pelé came from him mispronouncing the name of a player called Bilé.
He went to the 1958 World Cup as a reserve but became a key player for his country’s championship team. His first goal, in which he flicked the ball over the head of a defender and raced around him to volley it home, was voted as one of the best in World Cup history.
The 1966 World Cup in England -- won by the hosts -- was a bitter one for Pelé, by then already considered the world’s top player. Brazil was knocked out in the group stage and Pelé, angry at the rough treatment, swore it was his last World Cup.
Read more: Pelé’s family gathers at hospital in Sao Paulo
He changed his mind and was rejuvenated in the 1970 World Cup. In a game against England, he struck a header for a certain score, but the great goalkeeper Gordon Banks flipped the ball over the bar in an astonishing move. Pelé likened the save — one of the best in World Cup history — to a “salmon climbing up a waterfall.” Later, he scored the opening goal in the final against Italy, his last World Cup match.
In all, Pelé played 114 matches with Brazil, scoring a record 95 goals, including 77 in official matches.
His run with Santos stretched over three decades until he went into semi-retirement after the 1972 season. Wealthy European clubs tried to sign him, but the Brazilian government intervened to keep him from being sold, declaring him a national treasure.
On the field, Pelé’s energy, vision and imagination drove a gifted Brazilian national team with a fast, fluid style of play that exemplified “O Jogo Bonito” -- Portuguese for “The Beautiful Game.” His 1977 autobiography, “My Life and the Beautiful Game,” made the phrase part of football’s lexicon.
In 1975, he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Football League. Although 34 and past his prime, Pelé gave football a higher profile in North America. He led the Cosmos to the 1977 league title and scored 64 goals in three seasons.
Pelé ended his career on Oct. 1, 1977, in an exhibition between the Cosmos and Santos before a crowd in New Jersey of some 77,000. He played half the game with each club. Among the dignitaries on hand was perhaps the only other athlete whose renown spanned the globe — Muhammad Ali.
Pelé would endure difficult times in his personal life, especially when his son Edinho was arrested on drug-related charges. Pelé had two daughters out of wedlock and five children from his first two marriages, to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi and Assiria Seixas Lemos. He later married businesswoman Marcia Cibele Aoki.
Read more: Neymar ties Pelé's record but loses again at World Cup
Days before new president, old divisions tearing at Brazil
Trumpets and snares will play Brazil’s national anthem at Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s swearing-in on Jan. 1. Then, one will hear a different song on the streets, its lyrics taking a shot at outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro.
“It is time for Jair, it is time for Jair ... to go away!” the lyrics say. “Pack your bags, hit the road and go away!”
When Lula clinched his election win over Bolsonaro on Oct. 30, tens of thousands of people sang the familiar tune throughout the night, pushing the song to the top of Spotify’s list in Brazil and showing one way that many Brazilians aren’t ready to extend olive branches.
Healing Brazil’s divided society will be easier said than done. Lula’s Cabinet appointments thus far favoring leftists and stalwarts of his Workers’ Party are turning off those who trusted the divisive 77-year-old to govern alongside moderates, and who joined forces after Bolsonaro repeatedly tested the guardrails of the world’s fourth-biggest democracy.
“Governing Brazil means deals with agribusiness, evangelicals, former Bolsonaro allies. It can be frustrating for half-hearted Lula voters, but that’s what they have before them,” said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo.
Of course, Bolsonaro’s far-right backers are hardly the picture of post-election bonhomie. Many reject results of the vote and remain camped outside military buildings nationwide, demanding that Lula’s inauguration be impeded.
Brazil’s October election was its closest in more than three decades, pitting two arch-rivals against one another. In Lula’s victory speech on Oct. 30, he declared that “there are not two Brazils,” as tens of thousands gathered outside his hotel in Sao Paulo to celebrate his victory and Bolsonaro’s defeat.
A hopeful sign for Lula’s bridge-building ambitions came days later, with leftists and moderates once again donning the nation’s yellow soccer jersey to cheer on their team at the World Cup. The shirt for almost a decade has been an anti-left symbol and often featured in protests against Lula and in favor of Bolsonaro.
Lula and his allies wore the yellow shirt, too, in an effort to reclaim it; he posted photos of himself to social media, and said green and yellow “are the colors of 213 million people who love this country.” Salesman Elias Gaspar said yellow jerseys started flying off his rack as the team’s flamboyant performances trickled in.
“Before the World Cup I would sell on average six blue shirts and four yellow out of every ten,” Gaspar, 43, said on Dec. 4. “Now it is almost all yellow.”
Read more: Brazil election: Lula defeats Bolsonaro to become president again
Soccer was a short-lived unifying force. Brazil exited the tournament earlier than expected after a surprise penalty shootout loss to Croatia in the quarterfinals, and most Brazilians stuffed their jerseys back in their drawers. Bolsonaro’s backers are the only ones still sporting the national colors.
Lula has avoided inflaming tensions, mostly refraining from public attacks against Bolsonaro or his supporters, and instead focusing speeches on helping the most disadvantaged Brazilians once he returns to the office he held from 2003 to 2010. At times, though, us-versus-them comments have slipped past his lips. On Dec. 22, while announcing new ministers, he said Bolsonarismo remains alive and angry among those who refuse to recognize the electoral loss, so it must be defeated on Brazil’s streets.
For defense minister, Lula picked conservative José Múcio Monteiro after four years of Bolsonaro striving to secure the armed forces’ allegiance.
Other Lula appointments seem crafted to please his base and party, such as Anielle Franco, sister of slain Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman Marielle Franco, for minister of racial equality. He also tapped long-time ally Aloizio Mercadante to head the country’s development bank -- precisely the sort of position business leaders expected to remain clear of Workers’ Party hands.
Gleisi Hoffmann, the chairwoman of Lula’s Workers’ Party, said building a Cabinet would be a challenge even if Lula were only selecting progressives. Complicating decisions further is the fact that some would-be ministers are likely 2026 presidential candidates, as Lula has indicated he won’t run for reelection.
“We have our differences within the Workers’ Party, now go figure what happens when we bring a dozen other parties,” Hoffmann said on her social media channels Dec. 16. “It is a puzzle, it takes time.”
That may help explain why the number of ministries will nearly double, to 37.
Centrist endorsements from former environment minister Marina Silva and Simone Tebet, who finished third in the presidential race’s first round, brought in votes from Brazil’s moderates -- a demographic that grew leery of Lula since the sprawling Car Wash corruption probe landed him in jail in 2018. With their support, he beat Bolsonaro by less than two percentage points. Many expected them to be quickly announced as ministers, but negotiations have dragged on.
Thomas Traumann, a political consultant, said delays reflect the fact the president-elect has had a central role in negotiations for positions.
“People who helped him like Marina and Simone will have less stature than they would have had they been appointed shortly after he won,” Traumann said. “Lula’s luck is that moderates will view his administration like many leftist Democrats see (U.S. President Joe) Biden: they might not like what they see, but it is better than the alternative.”
Biden’s attempt to bridge the political chasm could offer an instructional, albeit dispiriting, model, said Brian Ott, a professor of communication at Missouri State University who has researched the stratifying impact of social media on American political discourse.
Read more: Brazil election body rejects Bolsonaro's push to void votes
Early in his presidency, Biden did not shy away from the fact that he was governing in a polarized country and played up his bonafides as a throwback to a different era when Democrats and Republicans could battle on the Senate floor before repairing to the dining room to hammer out compromises.
“The problem that Biden faces and the problem that politicians face in 51% countries like Brazil is there may no longer be smart strategies to deliver big tent messages without alienating your base,” said Ott. “We are now in a period where politics is so intensely, deeply divided culturally, where people don’t have to be exposed to different points.”
On Dec. 22, Lula named 16 ministers, bringing his total thus far to 21. Neither Tebet nor Silva are among them.
“It is harder to assemble a government than to win elections,” he said while counseling his appointees to hire staffers from diverse backgrounds. “We’re trying to make a government that, as much as we can, represents the political forces that participated in our campaign.”
He added that people who helped and haven’t yet been named will be taken into account, and are owed a debt for “daring to stick their necks out to confront fascism.”
Still, many new Lula voters already feel inclined to jump ship. One is Thereza Bittencourt, 65, who spoke at a military club in Rio and said initial signs worry her.
“I took a lot of criticism from my friends at the club because I voted for Lula. All of them chose Bolsonaro. I told them the management of the economy would be better,” Bittencourt said as she sipped her caipirinha. “If I only see members of the Workers’ Party in the government, goodbye.”
Bolsonaro supporters clash with police in Brazil's capital
Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro clashed with police Monday, setting fire to several vehicles and allegedly attempting to invade the federal police’s headquarters in capital city Brasilia.
Images of chaos as a small number of protesters, many wearing the yellow and green of Brazil's flag that has come to symbolize Bolsonarismo, roamed the city, circulated on local television channels and social media.
Brasilia's public security secretariat said in a statement that clashes broke out after police carried out an arrest warrant. Earlier that day, Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes had ordered the temporary arrest of José Acácio Serere Xavante, suspected of participating in anti-democratic protests.
Read more: Brazilian protests intensify; Bolsonaro stays silent
Since Bolsonaro lost re-election to da Silva on Oct. 30, many of his supporters have gathered outside military barracks across the country refusing to concede defeat and asking for the armed forces to intervene. Earlier Monday, the nation's electoral authority awarded da Silva and his vice president an official certification, sealing their victory.
Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly claimed that the nation's electronic voting system is prone to fraud and has not conceded defeat, told supporters Friday that his political future was in their hands.
“The depredation and attempted invasion of the Federal Police building in Brasilia is unacceptable,” said Flavio Dino, future Justice and Public Security Minister in the upcoming administration of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Read more: Brazil election body rejects Bolsonaro's push to void votes
The leader of the opposition in the Senate, Randolfe Rodrigues, said some protestors, whom he called “terrorists,” had concentrated around the hotel where da Silva is staying.
Police in full gear were rushed to the Federal Police’s headquarters as back up, as officers had to use stun grenades and rubber bullets, local media reported. Police also blocked several avenues and streets across Brasilia
Protesters elsewhere set at least one bus on fire and were seen gathering metal barriers.
Neymar’s future with Brazil uncertain after World Cup loss
The joy of scoring one of his biggest goals for Brazil quickly turned into tears after yet another disappointing elimination for Neymar with the national team.
The World Cup quarterfinal loss to Croatia was a tough one to take for the Brazil forward, and it could mean the end of his time with the national team.
Neymar remains without a major title with Brazil, and it’s unclear if he will try to be back for a fourth World Cup four years from now, when he will be 34 years old.
“It would be too hasty to come here and say that this is it, but I can’t guarantee anything,” Neymar said after Brazil’s 4-2 loss to Croatia in a penalty shootout on Friday. “I have to take some time to think about it. I’m not closing any doors to the Selecao, but I’m also not saying 100% that I want to be back.”
Before the tournament in Qatar, Neymar hadn’t ruled out this being his last World Cup appearance.
“Honestly, I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s hard to talk about it right now,” he said Friday. “Now it’s time to go home and lament.”
Not winning the title could keep him motivated to return, as for now his only triumphs with the national team remain the 2013 Confederations Cup title and the Olympic gold medal from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Read: Croatia end Brazil's dream of 6th World Cup
Neymar theoretically has until March to make a decision about his future, because that’s when South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is expected to begin.
It looked like Neymar was going to send Brazil to the semifinals for the first time since 2014 when he scored in extra time to move into a tie with Pelé as the national team’s all-time scoring leader with 77 goals. But Croatia equalized in the final minutes and won the shootout after Rodrygo and Marquinhos failed to convert their penalties for the five-time champions.
Neymar didn’t even get a chance to help in the shootout because Brazil coach Tite had reserved him to take the fifth penalty, which never materialized.
“It’s hard to say that it would have made a difference (if I had taken one of the early penalties),” he said. “We can’t single out anyone. We win together and we lose together.”
Reaching the semifinals in Qatar could have meant redemption for Neymar after what happened at the 2014 tournament hosted by Brazil. He couldn’t play in the semifinals after hurting his back in the quarterfinal win against Colombia, and Brazil eventually lost to Germany 7-1.
Four years later, Neymar and Brazil lost to Belgium in the quarterfinals.
Read: Neymar ties Pelé’s all-time record with Brazil at World Cup
Neymar also missed the 2019 Copa America, which Brazil won at home, because of a right ankle problem.
He survived another injury scare in Qatar after damaging ligaments in his right ankle in Brazil’s opening match. It wasn’t clear if he would be able to play again, but he ended up recovering for the round of 16, when he scored one of Brazil’s goals in the 4-1 win over South Korea.
Neymar joined Brazil as an 18-year-old in 2010 and quickly became the nation’s top star. If he leaves now, there is no clear replacement for him. Vinícius Júnior and maybe Rodrygo — his immediate substitute in Qatar — could potentially try to fill that role.
Most fans hope Neymar will be back, and so does the man whose record he tied on Friday.
“Keep inspiring us,” Pelé said in a message to Neymar. “I will keep punching the air with joy for every goal you score, as I did in every match I saw you on the pitch. Our biggest duty as athletes is to inspire. Inspire our teammates of today, the next generations and, above all, everyone who loves our sport.”
Neymar ties Pelé's record but loses again at World Cup
Neymar walked off the field with teammate Dani Alves by his side, tears still rolling down the Brazil forward's cheeks.
Other players had already tried to console Neymar as he cried while sitting near midfield, head down, hiding his face.
There wasn't much they could say to get the team's biggest star to lift his head up.
Again there was disappointment instead of joy at the end of a World Cup for Neymar. Again he couldn't lead Brazil to a major title.
It was his third failure at a World Cup, and his only triumphs with the national team are the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, when Brazil won its first gold medal in soccer.
Neymar said it wasn't the time to talk about his future with the national team.
Read more: Croatia end Brazil's dream of 6th World Cup
“Honestly, I don't know what's going to happen. It's hard to talk about it right now,” he said. “It would be too hasty to come here and say that this is it, but I can't guarantee anything. I have to take some time to think about it. I'm not closing any doors to the Seleção, but I'm also not saying 100% that I want to be back."
Neymar scored Friday to move level with Pelé as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals, but the Seleção ended up losing to Croatia 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals after the match finished 1-1 after extra time.
Neymar never had a chance to take a penalty after Rodrygo and Marquinhos missed their spot kicks.
“He would have taken the fifth penalty,” Brazil coach Tite said. “That's the one with the most pressure, and he would be the player with the most quality and mental preparedness to take the shot.”
Neymar scored his goal in extra time with a right-footed shot after getting through the defense and dribbling past the Croatia goalkeeper to match Pelé’s record. He entered the tournament two goals shy of the milestone, and scored his 76th in the round of 16 against South Korea after returning from an ankle injury.
The 82-year-old Pelé showed his support to Neymar from his hospital bed in Brazil, where he was improving while being treated for a respiratory infection that was aggravated by COVID-19.
“I saw you grow, I cheered for you every day and I can finally congratulate you for reaching my number of goals with Brazil. We both know that this is more than a figure,” he wrote on Instagram. “Our biggest duty as athletes is to inspire. Inspire our teammates of today, the next generations and, above all, everyone who loves our sport.
“Unfortunately, this is not the happiest day for us,” Pelé added. “My record was set almost 50 years ago, and nobody had managed to get near it until now. You got there, kid. That shows how great your achievement is.”
Brazil was close to returning to the semifinals for the first time since 2014, but instead Neymar looked in anguish from midfield as Croatia substitute Bruno Petkovic equalized in the 117th minute.
Neymar also didn't play in the last four of the tournament that Brazil hosted eight years ago. He suffered a serious back injury in the quarterfinals against Colombia and then saw his teammates lose 7-1 to Germany.
The 30-year-old Neymar scored his 77 goals in 124 matches for Brazil. Pelé’s goals came in 92 appearances with the national team between 1957 and 1971.
Ronaldo, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, is third on the list with 62 goals in 98 matches.
Pelé won three World Cups, including when he was 17 years old in the 1958 tournament. He also helped Brazil win the World Cup in 1962 and 1970.
Read more: Neymar ties Pelé’s all-time record with Brazil at World Cup
Neymar first played for Brazil as an 18-year-old in 2010. He is the only other Brazil player other than Pelé and Ronaldo to score in three different World Cups.
Neymar damaged ligaments in his ankle in Brazil’s opening win against Serbia, and his participation in the rest of the tournament was in doubt because of the injury. He made it back to the starting lineup after missing two group games, and played about 80 minutes in Brazil’s 4-1 win over South Korea on Monday.
The forward has had right ankle problems in the past, being among a series of injuries since the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Another right ankle sprain forced him to miss the 2019 Copa América, which Brazil won.
Croatia end Brazil's dream of 6th World Cup
Croatia knocked Brazil out of the World Cup on Friday, beating the five-time champions 4-2 in a penalty shootout to reach the semifinals for the second straight time.
Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved a penalty attempt by Rodrygo and Marquinhos later hit the post.
The match had finished 1-1 after extra time, with both goals coming in the additional 30 minutes. Neymar scored late in the first half of extra time to give Brazil the lead, but Croatia equalized when Bruno Petkovic scored in the 117th.
Neymar’s goal moved him into a tie with Pelé as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals.
Croatia will next face either Argentina or the Netherlands to try to return to the World Cup final four years after losing the title to France.
Read more: Brazil vs Croatia Quarter-final Preview: FIFA World Cup 2022
Brazil vs Croatia Quarter-final Preview: FIFA World Cup 2022
The 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal matchup between Brazil and Croatia promises to be an exciting affair for soccer fans around the world. Two of the world’s most exciting and talented teams will go head-to-head in the first quarterfinal match of the tournament, and it promises to be an epic battle. Brazil is undoubtedly the favorite to advance, but Croatia has the talent and determination to pull off the upset. Let’s take a look at Brazil and Croatia match preview focusing on both teams, their strengths and weaknesses, and what to expect when they meet on the field.
Where is Brazil vs Croatia match?
Brazil and Croatia will face each other in the first match of the World Cup quarterfinals on Friday, December 9, at 6 pm local time and 9 pm Bangladesh time at Education City Stadium.
Brazil’s performance so far in the 2022 World Cup
Brazil had a great start in the World Cup 2022, except for an upset caused by Cameroon. However, they have shown excellency against South Korea in the round of 16 with a 4-1 victory. Vinicius Jr., Neymar, Richarlison, and Lucas Paqueta helped the team with one goal each. And with that smooth win, they have sailed to the quarterfinals, which will be played against Croatia.
Read More: Can Brazil Win the FIFA World Cup for the 6th Time?
So far, Brazil has lost only one game in this World Cup, and it was against Cameroon. In fact, it was Selecao’s first loss in 19 International games.
This will be Brazil’s 17th quarterfinal appearance in the World Cup tournament. However, Brazil’s recent quarterfinal outcomes are not satisfactory. They lost three of the last four competitions in 2006, 2010, and 2018 against France, Netherlands, and Belgium, respectively.
In other group stage matches, Brazil pulled victory over Serbia by 2-0 and Switzerland by 1-0. Richarlison and Casemiro scored in those matches.
While Brazil has a few injured players, fortunately, Neymar is back after missing the last two group-stage matches. And Danilo was also back from injury. However, Alex Relles and Gabriel Jesus will not appear in the rest of the World Cup as they suffered an injury in the last group stage match against Cameroon. Alex Sandro could potentially return after he missed the round of 16 game.
Brazil’s players to watch: Neymar, Richarlison, Vinicius Jr
Brazil’s players carrying yellow cards: Fred, Eder Militao, Bruno Guimaraes.
Read More: FIFA World Cup 2022 Brazil vs Croatia LIVE Streaming: Where and How to watch online and TV Channel, Predicted XI
Croatia’s performance so far in the 2022 World Cup
Although Croatia was the 2018 World Cup runner-up, this season, their journey is not that smooth so far. They won only one group stage match, which was against Canada by a 4-1 goal. The other two matches were a draw. Also, their round of 16 matches against Japan was also a draw, but they pulled to victory by penalty.
However, captain Luka Modric and the Croatia team have been very consistent in this tournament. And Brazil may find it tough to beat them. In all their games in this World Cup, Croatia kept around 55% possession on average. So, if they can keep this with Brazil, they might get chances to keep pressure on Brazil.
Currently, Croatia is dealing with one injury issue. Josip Stanisic missed the last game against Japan due to a muscle injury, and he could miss the quarterfinals as well. Although Borna Sosa missed the game, too, he will be available against Brazil.
Croatia’s players to watch: Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, Bruno Petković
Croatia’s players carrying yellow cards: Dejan Lovren, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Borna Barisic.
Read More: FIFA World Cup 2022 Argentina vs Netherlands LIVE Streaming: Where and How to watch online and TV Channel, Predicted XI
Probable starting squad of Brazil vs Croatia Quarter-final Match
Brazil: Alisson Becker, Eder Militao, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Danilo, Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, Raphinha, Neymar, Vinicius Jr., Richarlison.
Croatia: Livakovic, Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa, Kovacic, Brozovic, Modric, Kramaric, Petkovic, Perisic
Brazil vs Croatia Match Result Prediction
World Cup 2022 performance as well as the past meeting suggest that Brazil will win the game. Also, different experts picked Brazil. According to Opta Analyst’s match prediction model, Brazil has 68.2%. Chance to win the game, while Croatia has only 11.5%. However, 20.3% chance of a draw, and the result is to decide by a penalty shootout.
Final Words
Brazil is the favorite to win, but Croatia is more than capable of upsetting the odds. The key will be which team can take advantage of their opportunities and which team can prevent the other from doing so. No matter the outcome, the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup Quarter-final Brazil vs Croatia match should be a great display of football.
Read More: FIFA World Cup 2022: Quarter Final Overview