No footballing nation is more synonymous with attacking players than Brazil, who have, down the years, seen a who’s who of greats don their illustrious number 10 jersey.  Brazil’s first international game came a month after its governing body was founded on August 20, 1914. Since then, several World Cup winners and Ballon d’Or recipients have worn the fabled yellow shirt.  But who is the best person to wear it? Ronaldinho? What about Pele? He wasn’t too bad, come to think about it. Zico, Rivaldo, and Kaka will all probably have something to say about that as well. Neymar will also be looking to embellish his legacy in Qatar to stake a claim.

Juninho Paulista, born Osvaldo Giroldo Júnior, is a former Brazilian attacking midfielder best known for his creativity, quick feet, and vision on the field. Despite his small stature (1.67 m), he became a dynamic playmaker who had a lasting impact in Brazil and abroad. He began his rise at São Paulo FC, where he helped the club win major international titles, including the Copa Libertadores. Juninho gained international acclaim during his spell at Middlesbrough in the English Premier League, where his flair and passion earned him cult hero status. He also played in Spain with Atlético Madrid and returned to Brazil multiple times before ending his career at Ituano FC, a club he would later own and manage. With the Brazilian national team, Juninho earned 49 caps, winning the 1997 Confederations Cup and being part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning squad. Post-retirement, he became a respected football executive, serving as the national team coordinator and contributing to Brazil’s 2019 Copa América victory. Juninho is remembered for his technical brilliance, humility, and love for the game.

In the early 90s, there were few better forwards than Rai, who embodied that great Sao Paulo team led by the footballing purist Tele Santana.

His mastery was explicitly displayed in the 1992 Intercontinental Cup when, under the Tokyo sun, he bedazzled Barcelona’s ‘Dream Team’, spearheaded by Santana’s kindred spirit, Johan Cruyff.

This earned him a move to Europe, with Paris Saint-Germain becoming his home, and in the French capital, they continue to sing his name and remember the many incredible performances.

At the international level, being the brother of such an iconic figure as Socrates wasn’t easy, but Rai, with 49 international caps and 17 goals, forged his own path with the Selecao, which included lifting the World Cup in 1994.

Kaka. / Kim Klement-Imagn Images  Kaká’s prime may have been relatively short, but my word, was it spectacular.  At his peak with AC Milan in the mid-2000s, the Brazilian playmaker was arguably the best player in the world, crowned with the Ballon d’Or in 2007 after leading the Rossoneri to Champions League glory, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals.  A rare blend of physical power, elegant movement, and outrageous technical ability, Kaká was near unstoppable on one of his trademark marauding runs—gliding past defenders, carrying the ball from deep, and finishing moves with either a perfectly-weighted assist or a clinical goal of his own.  While his 2009 move to Real Madrid never quite lived up to expectations due to injuries and inconsistency, his electrifying years at the San Siro remain unforgettable. At his best, Kaká wasn't just one of the finest Brazilians to ever play the game—he was one of the finest players, period.

It’s fair to say Rivaldo doesn’t always get the universal love he deserves — and we are not talking about a certain theatrical moment. For a long period, the lanky winger, though comfortable inside, was near unplayable.

He’d terrify opposition defenders and had a wicked cross on him. And let’s not get started on his incredible shooting ability. Across a period, Rivaldo was unplayable.

His performance at the 1999 Copa America, where he finished level on goals with Ronaldo (five apiece) to share the Golden Boot, essentially won him that year’s Ballon d’Or.

But it was his combination with Brazil’s other ‘Rs’ (the aforementioned Ronaldo and Ronaldinho) at the 2002 World Cup – in which Brazil claimed their fifth title – that everyone does fondly remember.

At his peak, Ronaldinho was the man. No one could lay a finger on ‘Brazilian magic’, whose audacity to attempt the impossible earned him a legion of supporters unseen before.  His arrival in 2003 ushered in a new dawn at Barcelona, and they never looked back. By combining swagger and ruthlessness, the Joker prince became king, but it ended as fast as it had happened.  There are, of course, many reasons why Dinho‘s time at the top was short-lived, but as the saying goes: “'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”  No one will forget the goofy smile, and when he scored that infamous free-kick past David Seaman en route to Brazil’s fifth World Cup title in 2002. Simply put, his career is one many would die for.

There are very few Brazilian footballers more loved than Zico. Nicknamed “the white Pele”, he was an exceedingly good deep-lying forward.  Allowed the freedom of the pitch, Zico was the lord and master of football no team felt that more than Liverpool, who couldn’t touch him in their 1982 Intercontinental Cup showdown.  Graeme Souness wanted to see if Flamengo’s wizard could ride a challenge, but couldn’t get anywhere near, instead was left to chase shadows. He may never have been a champion – that Brazil 1982 team remains as one of the greatest to never win the big prize – but the impact he made, in terms of goalscoring and playmaking, is still felt today.

Aged just 17, Pele scored six times at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.   He was the youngest player ever to score in a final, netting a brace to clinch victory for Brazil over the hosts, and went on to win international football’s biggest prize another two times, in 1962 and 1970 – something that hasn’t been achieved before or since.  At club level, Pele spearheaded a golden era for Santos, where they won two Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup titles in a row in 1962 and 1963, and by the time he hung up his boots, the striker had 1,279 goals to his name.