Brazil is the most successful national football team in history, with five World Cup successes to their name are the only side to have appeared in every World Cup finals. They are also the most successful team in the FIFA Confederations Cup with three titles. At continental level, Brazil has won eight Copa America titles.
The Brazil national football team is known by a variety of nicknames: Canarinha (Little Canary), A Seleção (The Selection), Verde-Amarela (Green and Yellow), Samba Boys, Pentacampeões (Five Time Champion).
The first match of the Brazil national football team ever is generally believed to be a 1914 match between a Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo select team and the English club Exeter City, held in Fluminense's stadium.
Brazil won their first World Cup in 1958 when they beat the host nation Sweden 5–2 in the final and becoming the first nation to win a World Cup title outside of its own continent. It was the first of three World Cups won by the legendary Pele.
In 1962, Brazil won their second World Cup, in Chile, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final. Garrincha was the star player, and finished as the tournament's top scorer.
The 1970 Brazil national side is regarded as one of the greatest international teams of all time. Fittingly they won the World Cup with a sublime 4-1 victory over Italy in the final. Jairzinho was second top tournament scorer with seven goals, while Pele finished with four. Most importantly, Brazil became the first nation to lift the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy for the third time, which meant they got to keep it.
Brazil, to the surprise of many, went 24 years without winning a World Cup or even participating in a final, despite producing several great teams, including the Zico-inspired 1982 side.
They found success again at the 1994 tournament in the United States, where a solid, if unspectacular side headed by the likes of Romario, Bebeto and Dunga won the World Cup for a then-record fourth time.
The Seleceao's fifth success came in 2002 in South Korea and Japan and was inspired by Ronaldo, who won the Golden Shoe as tournament top scorer. They overcame Germany 2-0 in the final, with Ronaldo scoring both goals.