Brazil has exported more footballers to Europe than any other country in the world.
With a population of over 200 million and a huge passion for football, Brazil has produced some of the game's greatest-ever players.
The nation's biggest football icon, Pelé, did not play in Europe. O Rei spent most of his career with Santos, before finishing up with the New York Cosmos in the early 1970s.
Back then, South American clubs did not need to sell their stars to European clubs. But it has been a different story since, with almost all the top talents playing in the "Old continent" at some stage in more recent times.
Here, a look at some of the Brazilian players who made their mark on European football...
32. Rodrygo
Rodrygo joined Real Madrid from Santos in 2019 and the Brazilian forward quickly became an important player for the Spanish giants.
The winger has already accumulated a number of La Liga titles and international trophies for Los Blancos, chipping in with some big goals along the way. He made his Brazil debut in 2019.
31. Giovane Elber
Giovane Elber spent virtually his entire career in Europe after being snapped up by AC Milan as a youth player – but he never featured for the Rossoneri.
After three years at Grasshoppers in Switzerland, Elber spent three more at VfB Stuttgart, but his most memorable moments came at Bayern Munich as he won four Bundesliga titles and a Champions League crown with the Bavarian giants. Later, he also won a Ligue 1 title with Lyon. He finished his career with Cruzeiro in Brazil and over 270 goals overall, but just 15 caps for his country.
30. Maicon
Maicon was one of the best right-backs in the world at his peak and was even keeping Dani Alves out of the Brazil team for a fair while.
In a seven-year spell at Inter, Maicon won 11 trophies, including four Serie A titles and the treble in 2009/10. He also played for Monaco, Roma and briefly for Manchester City.
29. Lucio
Lucio earned over 100 caps for Brazil between 2000 and 2011 and was part of the team which won the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
A Champions League finalist with Bayer Leverkusen earlier that year, the centre-back went on to win three Bundesliga titles at Bayern Munich and was part of the Inter side which claimed a treble under Jose Mourinho in 2009/10.
28. Juninho
Juninho was part of Brazil's World Cup-winning squad in 2002 and won close to 50 caps for his country between 1995 and 2003.
The diminutive playmaker is a hero in Middlesbrough, where he played across three spells and starred in the club's first-ever trophy: the League Cup in 2004. He also spent two seasons at Atletico Madrid between 1997 and 1999 and had a spell at Celtic before returning to Brazil in 2005.
27. Toninho Cerezo
Toninho Cerezo is considered one of Brazil's best-ever defensive midfielders and he won over 50 caps for his country between 1977 and 1986.
Cerezo spent nine years in Italy with Roma and Sampdoria, winning four Coppa Italia crowns and a Serie A title. He was also on the losing side in European Cup finals with both clubs (for Roma against Liverpool in 1984 and for Sampdoria versus Barcelona in 1992).
26. Eder Militao
Eder Militao moved to Real Madrid in 2019 after a single season at Porto and became a regular after the departure of club legends Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane.
The centre-back, who made his Brazil debut in 2018 and won the Copa America the following year, has already won an array of silverware with Madrid and was given a €1 billion release clause after signing a new contract in January 2024.
25. Filipe Luis
Best remembered for his time at Atletico Madrid, where he made over 300 appearances across two four-year spells, Filipe Luis was a no-nonsense left-back who won 44 caps for Brazil between 2009 and 2019.
Filipe won La Liga, a Copa del Rey, two Europa Leagues and two UEFA Super Cups at Atleti, as well as featuring in two Champions League finals for the Rojiblancos. He also had spells at Deportivo La Coruña and Chelsea and after returning to Brazil in 2019, won the Copa Libertadores twice with Flamengo.
24. Fernandinho
Fernandinho spent nine years at Manchester City between 2013 and 2022 and won five Premier League titles, six League Cups and an FA Cup with the Sky Blues. He was also a Champions League finalist in 2021.
The defensive midfielder previously spent eight seasons at Shakhtar Donetsk, winning a series of trophies in Ukraine. Capped over 50 times by Brazil, he returned to his homeland with Athletico Paranaense in 2022.
23. Ederson
It took Pep Guardiola a while to find his ideal goalkeeper after moving to Manchester City in 2016, but Ederson's arrival from Benfica the following year solved that particular problem.
With his impressive distribution, the Brazilian is the perfect player for Guardiola's style of play at City and despite being behind Alisson Becker at international level, he is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
22. Adriano
Adriano was one of the world's best strikers for a period in the mid-2000s and a formidable talent in the Brazil teams which won the Copa America in 2004 and the Confederations Cup a year later.
Best remembered for his time at Inter, Adriano won two Serie A titles and was a prolific scorer with the Nerazzurri between 2003 and 2006. But he fell into decline due to depression and struggles with alcohol after the death of his father and made his last Brazil appearance at the age of just 28.
21. Juninho Pernambucano
One of the finest free-kick takers in football history, Juninho Pernambucano was a fixture in all seven of Lyon's Ligue 1 titles between 2001 and 2008.
Capped 40 times by Brazil, the midfielder was unfortunate with injuries and missed both the 2002 World Cup and the 2004 Copa America wins. He retired from international duty after the 2006 World Cup.
20. Mauro Silva
Mauro Silva earned 59 caps for Brazil between 1991 and 2001, starting alongside Dunga in midfield as the South Americans won the World Cup in 2004.
After spells at Guarani and Bragantino in his homeland, the tough-tackling midfielder moved to Deportivo La Coruña in 1992 and stayed with the Galician club for 13 seasons. A fixture in Depor's greatest-ever era, the Brazilian won La Liga, two Copas del Rey and three Supercopas during his time at Riazor.
19. Aldair
Aldair played in back-to-back World Cup finals for Brazil, winning the trophy in 1994 and finishing as a runner-up four years later. He was also a Copa America winner in 1989 and 1997.
At club level, the central defender made over 400 appearances for Roma in 13 seasons at the Stadio Olimpico and was a Serie A winner in 2000/01. Either side of his time in the Italian capital, he also had short spells at Benfica and Genoa.
18. Alisson Becker
Alisson Becker joined Liverpool from Roma in the summer of 2018 and quickly improved the Reds as Jurgen Klopp's side went on to win the Champions League the following season and the Premier League the year after that.
A Copa America winner with Brazil in 2019, Alisson was named Best Goalkeeper in the World for that year by IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) and has often been described as the world's finest by Klopp.
17. Falcao
Falcao spent five seasons at Roma in the early 1980s and helped the Giallorossi win the Serie A title and two Coppa Italia crowns in his time in the Italian capital.
After leading Roma to the Scudetto in 1982/83, he was nicknamed "the eighth king of Rome", but his relationship with the club deteriorated after the European Cup final loss to Liverpool in 1984, when he refused to take a penalty in the shootout. These days, though, he is considered a legend at the Italian club. Falcao played for Brazil in two World Cups in a 10-year international career.
16. Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva was 24 years old when he signed for AC Milan from Fluminense in 2009, but the Brazilian defender went on to spend 15 seasons at the highest level in Europe.
After three years at Milan and a Scudetto in 2010/11, Silva won plenty of silverware in eight campaigns at Paris Saint-Germain and helped Chelsea claim the Champions League following his move to London in 2020. Capped over 100 times by Brazil, he won the Copa America in 2019.
15. Jose Altafini
Jose Altafini was an Italian-Brazilian footballer who began his career in Brazil with Palmeiras and represented the South Americans at the 1958 World Cup, before embarking on a long career in Italy.
Atalfini, who had played under the name of Mazzola in Brazil due to his likeness to Italian legend Valentino Mazzola, scored over 200 goals in Serie A for Napoli, AC Milan and Juventus over a period of 18 years. He also played for Italy at the 1962 World Cup and finished his career in Switzerland.
14. Casemiro
Casemiro formed a memorable midfield three with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos at Real Madrid and the Brazilian was part of five Champions League wins with Los Blancos.
The defensive midfielder was considered one of the world's best and also chipped in with important goals, including one in the 2017 Champions League final against Juventus. After nine years at Madrid (with one season spent at Porto in 2014/15), Casemiro joined Manchester United in 2022.
13. Careca
Careca was part of Napoli's special side in the late 1980s and early 1990s alongside legendary Argentina attacker Diego Maradona.
The Brazilian striker signed for Napoli in 1987, after the club's first Serie A title, and helped the Blues win the UEFA Cup in 1989 and another Scudetto the following year. Against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup final, he scored three of Napoli's four goals across two legs and netted close to 100 in six seasons at the club.
12. Bebeto
One of Brazil's best-ever strikers, Bebeto starred alongside Romario in the South Americans' 1994 World Cup win and also in their Copa America triumph in 1989.
In four seasons at Deportivo La Coruña, Bebeto scored over 100 goals and helped the Galicians win a Copa del Rey and a Supercopa. He is remembered as one of the club's best-ever players and was La Liga top scorer in 1992/93.
11. Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior joined Real Madrid from Flamengo in 2018 and the Brazilian was initially mocked by rival fans for his wayward finishing.
But the attacker, also targeted with horrific racial abuse during his time in Spain, went on to become a star at the Santiago Bernabeu with a series of dazzling displays, and scored the winner in the 2022 Champions League final against Liverpool.
10. Romario
Romario scored 128 goals in 149 games in a wonderful five-season spell at PSV, but the Brazilian forward's time in Europe is perhaps best remembered for his stint at Barcelona.
The striker's time at Camp Nou was short, but he helped the Catalan club win La Liga and reach the Champions League final in 1994. He won the World Cup with Brazil that summer and was soon playing back in his homeland, briefly returning to La Liga with Valencia in both 1996/97 and 1997/98.
9. Neymar
Neymar joined Barcelona from Santos in 2013, helped the Catalan club to a treble in 2015 and inspired a historic comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
But later in 2017, he left Barça for PSG in a shock move as the Parisians paid his release clause. The brilliant Brazilian scored over 100 goals for the French giants and won a series of trophies, but his career did perhaps not quite reach the heights it should have. He moved to Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023.
8. Cafu
Cafu earned 142 caps for Brazil in a 16-year international career and was a World Cup winner in 1994 and 2002 – the second of those as the captain.
An attacking right-back who was nicknamed Il Pendolino (The Express Train) during his time in Italy, Cafu won Serie A titles with Roma and AC Milan, plus a Champions League with the Rossoneri. In total, he spent 11 years in Italy and also had a brief spell at Real Zaragoza back in 1994/95.
7. Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos is one of the greatest attacking full-backs of all time and the Brazilian was always a threat from free-kicks.
The powerful left-back spent his best years at Real Madrid, winning three Champions League crowns amid a series of trophies and making more than 500 appearances for Los Blancos. A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, he also played for Inter, Fenerbahce and briefly with Russian side Anzhi in his European career.
6. Marcelo
Marcelo spent 15 years at Real Madrid between 2007 and 2022, playing in over 500 matches for Los Blancos and leaving as the most decorated footballer in the club's history.
A five-time Champions League winner with Madrid, Marcelo was the world's best left-back for much of his time at the Santiago Bernabeu. He played 58 times for Brazil and had a brief spell at Olympiacos before returning to his homeland with Fluminense in 2023.
5. Dani Alves
Dani Alves is one of the best right-backs ever and at the time of his retirement, the Brazilian was the most decorated player in football history.
Best remembered for his eight-year spell at Barcelona between 2008 and 2016, Alves played in two treble-winning teams and formed a special understanding with Lionel Messi. He also won trophies at Sevilla, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain in a long and successful career in Europe, but was convicted for rape in 2023 and spent 14 months in prison.
4. Kaka
AC Milan fans protested outside the club's headquarters ahead of the Brazilian's sale to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
Adored by the Milan fans in a successful six-year spell at San Siro, Kaka won the Ballon d'Or during his time with the Rossoneri. But the attacking midfielder, who was part of Brazil's World Cup-winning squad in 2002, was never quite the same at Madrid. He returned to Milan for a second stay in 2013, but was back in Brazil the following year and finished his career at Orlando FC.
3. Rivaldo
Rivaldo was an extraordinary player at his peak and the Brazilian forward scored an impressive 130 goals in five seasons at Barcelona.
A World Cup winner in 2002, Rivaldo left Barça for AC Milan that same year and won the Champions League with the Rossoneri, although he was an unused substitute in the final. Later, he helped Olympiacos to three Greek titles. He also played for Deportivo La Coruña and AEK Athens in a 12-year European career, which was interrupted only by a short spell at Cruzeiro.
2. Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho was the best player in the world for a period in the mid-2000s and the Brazilian forward was an absolute joy to watch during his peak years.
After signing for Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003, Ronaldinho returned the club to the top after years of poor results, leading the Blaugrana to back-to-back La Liga titles and the Champions League in 2006. His last season and a half was not so good as he fell into decline, but he transformed Barça's fortunes and paved the way for a young Lionel Messi. He later spent two and a half seasons at AC Milan before returning to Brazil in 2011.
1. Ronaldo
Ronaldo's career was interrupted by injuries, but the brilliant Brazilian is still considered one of the greatest footballers of all time.
A two-time World Cup winner with Brazil, Ronaldo did not play in the 1994 triumph but was the team's star in 2002. At club level, he represented PSV, Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid and AC Milan in Europe across 14 seasons and won a series of major trophies, although never the Champions League.
