The best Brazilian attackers ever

Richarlison, Tottenham Hotspur

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32. Richarlison

Brazil’s number nine at the 2022 World Cup – where he scored three goals, including a stunning scissor kick against Serbia – Richarlison impressed in the Premier League for Watford and Everton before securing a £50m move to Tottenham five months prior to that tournament.

A Copa America winner and Olympic gold medallist with his country, the former Fluminense man has proved himself adept in central and wide attacking roles.

Ailton

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31. Ailton

The only player on this list never capped by Brazil, Ailton was a journeyman striker whose career took him to Mexico, Germany, Turkey, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Austria and China.

But the robust frontman played his best football in the Bundesliga, scoring 102 goals in six-and-a-half years across spells with Werder Bremen and Schalke – finishing as top scorer en route to the title with Bremen in 2003/04.

Serginho

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30. Serginho

A prolific goalscorer in Brazilian domestic football, Serginho represented his country on 20 occasions and found the net twice at the 1982 World Cup.

Aside from brief stints with Maritimo of Portugal and Turkish outfit Malatyaspor in the late 80s, he spent his entire career in his homeland, going on to coach a number of clubs after hanging up his boots.

Edmundo

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29. Edmundo

Former Brazil, Fiorentina and Vasco da Gama striker Edmundo was nicknamed ‘O Animal’ – and with good reason: he was a volatile character on the pitch (and loved to party off it).

But he also scored plenty of goals, helping Vasco and Palmeiras to Brazilian top-flight titles and making his country’s squad for the 1998 World Cup – where he featured twice, including in the final.

Giovane Elber

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28. Giovane Elber

One of the all-time leading scorers in the Bundesliga, Giovane Elber amassed 133 goals during a decade-long stay in Germany which saw him star for Stuttgart and, mainly, Bayern Munich.

A four-time Bundesliga champion with Bayern, Elber – who netted seven times in 15 Brazil caps between 1998 and 2001 – finished as the league’s joint top scorer in 2002/03.

Mario Jardel

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27. Mario Jardel

Between 1996 and 2000, Mario Jardel racked up a whopping 170 goals for Porto – in just 175 appearances. In the league alone, he averaged more than a goal a game, firing the Portuguese giants to three titles.

Unfortunately for Jardel, Brazil had top strikers coming out their ears around that time, so he only won 10 caps – but his prolific club record speaks for itself.

Luis Fabiano

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26. Luis Fabiano

Luis Fabiano averaged better than a goal every other game for Brazil, striking 28 times in 45 appearances during a ten-year international career – including three at the 2010 World Cup.

At club level, he enjoyed goal-laden spells with Sao Paulo and Sevilla, among others, lifting two UEFA Cups with the Spanish club and making the 2007/08 LaLiga Team of the Season.

Robinho

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25. Robinho

Capped 100 times by Brazil, scoring 28 goals, Robinho got his hands on league winner’s medals in Spain and Italy with Real Madrid and AC Milan respectively.

Among the most prodigious prospects in world football during the early 00s, the supremely gifted Robinho didn’t fully realise his potential – but he was undoubtedly a fine player at his peak.

Roberto Dinamite

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24. Roberto Dinamite

Roberto Dinamite: it’s got to be one of the coolest names in football history. And the striker was one of Brazil’s main men in the late 70s and early 80s, notching 20 goals in 38 caps.

Top scorer at the 1983 Copa America, where Brazil finished as runners-up, Dinamite plundered almost 500 goals over the course of two spells with boyhood club Vasco da Gama – who he helped to the title in 1974.

Gabriel Jesus

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23. Gabriel Jesus

One of the finest centre-forwards of his era, Heleno de Freitas banged in 19 A versatile and enormously hard-working forward with a knack for bagging crucial goals, Gabriel Jesus has shown what he’s made of for two of world football’s biggest hitters: Manchester City and Arsenal.

Four times a Premier League champion with City, the former Palmeiras youngster also won 2016 Olympic gold and the 2019 Copa America with Brazil.

Willian

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22. Willian

At his peak, Willian was one of the most devastating and productive wingers around, a key presence on the left at Chelsea – for whom he scored 37 goals and provided 33 assists across seven Premier League campaigns.

Twice a champion of England with the Blues, the afroed free-kick specialist – who earned 70 Brazil caps – later featured for fellow London clubs Arsenal and, more impactfully, Fulham.

Reinaldo

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21. Reinaldo

If not for disruptive injuries, Reinaldo would have gone down as the second-greatest Brazilian player of all time after Pele – according to Zico, who knows a thing or two about football…

The Aletico Mineiro legend – who spearheaded the club’s attack at a time when they had one of the best teams in the world – scored 14 goals in 37 caps for his nation from 1975 to 1985, starring at the 1978 World Cup.

Arthur Friedenreich

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20. Arthur Friedenreich

Born in Sao Paulo to a German father and Brazilian mother, Arthur Friedenreich was arguably football’s first mixed race superstar, scoring freely for club and country.

Capped 23 times by the Selecao, Friedenreich is claimed to have amassed well over 1,000 career goals. He won state championship titles with local oufits Paulistano and Sao Paulo.

Careca

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19. Careca

Second to Golden Boot winner Gary Lineker with five goals at the 1986 World Cup, Careca was on target 30 times in 64 caps for Brazil overall.

A natural finisher blessed with great pace and technical ability, Careca won the 1988/89 UEFA Cup and 1989/90 Serie A title with Napoli – where he formed a famous attacking trio alongside Diego Maradona and Bruno Giordano.

Adriano

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18. Adriano

At Inter Milan in the mid-00s, Adriano was one of the most explosive strikers on the planet, a borderline unstoppable force when in all-powerful full flow.

Described as “a pure animal” by teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he won two Serie A titles with Inter and the 2004 Copa America with Brazil – for whom he notched 27 goals in 48 appearances.

A downturn in form coincided with the death of his father, but, in his pomp, Adriano was quite incredible to watch.

Philippe Coutinho

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17. Philippe Coutinho

A dazzling dribbler adept as a second striker or on the wing, among other roles, Philippe Coutinho will be best remembered for his five years at Liverpool – where he established himself as one of the Premier League’s most mesmerising players, scoring some seriously special goals.

Liverpool Fans’ Player of the Season for 2014/15 and 2015/16, Coutinho later won league titles with Barcelona – who he joined from the Reds for £108m in 2018 – and Bayern Munich – as well as the 2019 Copa America with Brazil.

Roberto Firmino

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16. Roberto Firmino

One of the finest exponents of the false nine position there has ever been, Roberto Firmino’s indefatigable work rate was absolutely pivotal to Jurgen Klopp’s gegenpressing system which yielded Liverpool’s maiden Premier League title in 2019/20.

Probably the greatest Brazilian player in the history of England’s top flight, Firmino also lifted the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup with the Reds – and scored 17 goals in 55 international caps.

Zizinho

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15. Zizinho

Zizinho was idolised by Pele – which tells you he must have been pretty good. In fact, Pele called him the best player he ever saw.

An icon at Flamengo and Sao Paulo, the superbly adaptable attacker netted 30 times in 53 caps for Brazil, almost helping them to glory at the 1950 World Cup on home soil.

Bebeto

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14. Bebeto

He’s possibly be best known as the man who invented the ‘rock the baby’ celebration – debuting it en route to 1994 World Cup victory – but Bebeto’s career will also be remembered for what a sensational striker he was.

In 75 caps, he bagged 39 goals – among the most of any Brazilian international ever – and was especially prolific at club level for Spain’s Deportivo La Coruna – who he helped to the 1994/95 Copa del Rey.

Ademir is denied by Sweden goalkeeper Kalle Svensson at the 1950 World Cup

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13. Ademir

Top scorer at the 1950 World Cup with nine goals, Ademir averaged not far off a goal a game in his total of 39 Brazil caps between 1945 and 1953.

Famously nicknamed ‘Queixada’ (‘Jaw’) (the photo will tell you why) – Ademir – who turned out for Sport Recife, Vasco da Gama and Fluminense – helped the Selecao to victory at the 1949 Copa America on home turf, being named player of the tournament.

Vava

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12. Vava

A major star of Brazil’s 1958 and 1962 World Cup wins – finishing as joint top scorer at the latter – Vava was simply one of the best strikers of his generation.

Capped 20 times by his nation – notching 15 goals – he won club trophies in Brazil and abroad, including back-to-back Copas del Rey with Atletico Madrid at the start of the 60s.

Tostao

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11. Tostao

Adept up front or in an attacking midfield capacity, Tostao formed a deadly partnership with Pele at international level, lifting the 1970 World Cup.

One of the finest players on the planet during the 60s, Tostao scored 32 goals in 54 caps for Brazil and won the 1966 domestic title with Cruzeiro – where he is record scorer with 249 goals.

Leonidas

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10. Leonidas

One of a number of players credited as the possible inventor of the bicycle kick, Leonidas played a prominent part for Brazil at the 1934 and 1938 World Cups, scooping the Golden Ball and Golden Boot at the latter tournament.

Diminutive and agile – he was known as the ‘Rubber Man’ – Leonidas won state championship titles with Vasco da Gama, Botafogo, Flamengo and Sao Paulo.

He scored 21 goals in just 19 international appearances.

Neymar

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9. Neymar

Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, Neymar will go down as the nation’s greatest player of the 2010s – a decade during which he got his hands on trophy after trophy with Santos, Barcelona and PSG, most notably the 2014/14 Champions League with Barca.

One prong of the ‘MSN’ frontline with Lionel Messi and Luiz Suarez in Catalonia, Neymar emphasised his creative prowess by finishing as leading Champions League assist provider in 2015/16 and 2016/17.

And he achieved all this despite seemingly being cursed by bad injury luck.

Jairzinho

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8. Jairzinho

Skilful, robust, and sporting a fantastic afro, Jairzinho was a mainstay of the Brazilian national team for well over a decade, featuring at three World Cups – and playing a starring role as his country won the tournament in 1970.

It was at those finals that the iconic right-winger dubbed ‘O Furacao’ (‘The Hurricane’) scored one of the all-time great World Cup goals, after embarking on a jaw-dropping dribble against Czechoslovakia in the group stage.

Romario

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7. Romario

Very few footballers can say they amassed 700+ career goals – but Romario is one of them, having got on the scoresheet 755 times for club and country over the course of his 22-year career.

Golden Ball recipient as player of the tournament during Brazil’s World Cup victory, the truly prolific ‘Baixinho’ (‘Shorty’) smashed in 128 goals in 149 games for PSV, 39 in 65 for Barcelona, and 55 in 70 for Brazil.

Didi

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6. Didi

One of Brazil’s biggest stars of the mid-20th century, the legendary country helped his country to back-to-back World Cup triumphs in 1958 and 1962.

Credited with inventing the ‘knuckleball’ free-kick technique – the preserve of Juninho Permanbucano and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others – Did was a versatile attacking player who turned out for Real Madrid and Fluminense, among other clubs.

Rivaldo

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5. Rivaldo

One member of the sensational attacking trio which spearheaded Brazil’s 2002 World Cup win (alongside Ronaldinho and Ronaldo), Rivaldo was undoubtedly one of the top attacking midfielders of the late 90s and early 00s.

Ballon d’Or winner in 1999, he scored 35 goals in 74 international appearances, as well as 130 in 235 games for Barcelona – where he won two La Liga titles before joining AC Milan and lifting the Champions League.

Garrincha

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4. Garrincha

A true superstar member of Brazil’s World Cup-retaining team of 1958 and 1962, Garrincha is widely considered to be one of the very best dribblers the game has ever seen.

“In the entire history of football, no one made more people,” legendary Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano said of Garrincha – who, in 1962, became the first player to do the prestigious double of World Cup Golden Boot and Golden Ball.

Ronaldinho

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3. Ronaldinho

Arguably the world’s best player of the 00s, Ronaldinho was almost certainly the most entertaining of that particular decade.

One of those players who you could just tell lived for football, ‘O Bruxo’ (‘The Wizard’) attempted things most wouldn’t dare – and he usually pulled them off, such as his famous toe-poke goal for Barcelona against Chelsea.

Capped 97 times – scoring 33 goals – the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner helped Brazil to victory at the 1999 Copa America then played a pivotal part in their 2002 World Cup success.

Ronaldo

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2. Ronaldo

Ronaldo – ‘O Fenomeno’ – redefined what it meant to be a centre-forward with his scarily prolific goalscoring exploits for club and country during the 90s.

After plundering 54 goals in 57 games for PSV and 47 in 49 for Barcelona, Ronaldo won his first of two Ballons d’Or Copas America and in 1997.

An unused squad member at the 1994 World Cup, he couldn’t quite help Brazil to 1998 glory after suffering a seizure before the final – but he more than made up for that by stealing the show four years later, finishing as top scorer.

Pele

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1. Pele

For many, he’s still the greatest player of all time from anywhere in the world. He’s certainly Brazil’s greatest player of all time (and their greatest attacker of all time – obviously).

The game’s first global superstar, what more is there to say about ‘O Rei’ (‘The King’) that hasn’t already been said countless times over?

A player of almost indescribably magical prowess, Pele won three World Cups – a feat nearly certain never to be repeated – also picking up the Golden Ball in 1970, and amassed the best part of 800 career goals.

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open…

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