Brazil have produced some of the best footballers in history, however, only eight players have made more than 100 appearances in the famous yellow shirt.
Football FanCast has taken a look at the most-capped Brazil players in history, with a detailed view of the top 10.
All information correct as of 11th April 2024.
Brazil men's most-capped internationals |
||
---|---|---|
Rank |
Player |
Caps |
1 |
Cafu |
143 |
2 |
Neymar |
128 |
3 |
Roberto Carlos |
127 |
4 |
Dani Alves |
126 |
5 |
Thiago Silva |
113 |
6 |
Lucio |
105 |
7 |
Claudio Taffarel |
102 |
8 |
Robinho |
100 |
9 |
Ronaldo |
99 |
10 |
Djalma Santos |
98 |
11 |
Ronaldinho |
97 |
=12 |
Gilberto Silva |
93 |
=12 |
Gilmar |
93 |
=12 |
Dida |
93 |
=15 |
Pele |
92 |
=15 |
Kaka |
92 |
=15 |
Roberto Rivelino |
92 |
18 |
Dunga |
91 |
19 |
Julio Cesar |
87 |
=20 |
Marquinhos |
84 |
=20 |
Ze Roberto |
84 |
Here is a detailed look at Brazil's 10 most-capped players:
10 Djalma Santos
98 caps
Former full-back Djalma Santos made almost 950 appearances at club level during his career and also represented Brazil on 98 occasions.
Santos played in four successive World Cups between 1954 and 1966, winning the tournament in 1958 and 1962 before retiring from football at the age of 42 in 1970.
9 Ronaldo
99 caps
One of Brazil’s top goalscorers of all time, Ronaldo painfully missed out on 100 caps for his country.
He initially ended on 98 caps in 2006 but made a comeback for a farewell appearance in 2011 at the age of 34. The two-time Ballon d'Or and World Cup winner scored 62 goals for Brazil, the last of which fittingly came at the World Cup.
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100 caps
Robinho is one of eight Brazilians to have made 100 or more appearances for Seleção, with his first cap coming in 2003 aged just 19.
The winger turned out for the likes of Santos, Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan during his club career and was a regular between 2005 and 2011, with his final appearance coming in 2017.
7 Claudio Taffarel
102 caps
The highest-capped goalkeeper in Brazil's history, Claudio Taffarel made his international debut at the age of 22 in 1988. He would go on to become a regular for his country until 1998, making 10 or more appearances in five separate calendar years.
Currently a goalkeeping coach for his national side and for Liverpool, Taffarel won two Copa America titles and the World Cup in 1994.
6 Lucio
105 caps
Physical centre-back Lucio is next on the list, with the former Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Inter defender winning 105 caps.
After breaking through in 2001, Lucio went on to play every minute for Brazil during their 2002 World Cup triumph. He would become a crucial figure for Seleção and go on to captain his country, with his last appearance coming in 2011.
5 Thiago Silva
113 caps
Another centre-back who has captained Brazil is Thiago Silva. Considered by many as one of the best defenders in modern history, the 39-year-old is still yet to retire from international football.
Silva actually made his debut for Brazil at the age of 24, but quickly made up for lost time and won his 100th cap in 2021. The defender is yet to win a World Cup but did lift the Copa America in 2019.
4 Dani Alves
126 caps
Dani Alves won the first of his 126 caps in 2006, with the last coming in 2022 at the age of 39.
The former Sevilla and Barcelona right-back scored eight goals on the international stage and helped win two Copa America titles in 2007 and 2019.
3 Roberto Carlos
127 caps
Known as one of the best attacking left-backs of all time and for his powerful free-kick ability, Roberto Carlos is third on the list with 127 caps.
The Real Madrid icon played in three World Cups, winning the 2002 tournament, with his first appearance for Brazil coming in 1992 as a teenager. He went on to establish himself as a legend of the game and won his final cap for Brazil in 2006.
2 Neymar
128 caps
Neymar, Brazil’s top goalscorer of all time with 79 goals, currently sits second in the appearance list with 128 caps. He’ll no doubt have his eyes on breaking this record before he retires, with the attacker one of the most iconic names in Brazilian football.
After bursting onto the scene with Santos, Neymar was handed an international debut at 18 in 2010 and has been a key player ever since.
1 Cafu
143 caps
Currently top of the charts is Cafu, with the former right-back earning 143 caps for Brazil, the first of which came in 1990 at the age of 19.
He’d go on to captain his country and even made a whopping 20 appearances in 1997, the year he won his first Copa America. Cafu is also the only player in World Cup history to play in three World Cup finals, winning in 1994 and 2002.