From Pele to Ronaldinho, Brazil’s known for churning out world-class footballers. The country’s won the World Cup more times than any other country, and the style of its players lends itself well to game-changing plays. Here are 10 of the best and brightest hailing from Brazil at the moment – these are the current players to watch.
1. Oscar
One of the undisputable top talents on the field at the moment is Oscar. This Chelsea midfielder is known for his brilliant passes and fancy footwork. At the end of his first season he managed 12 goals and no shortage of assists. Oscar scored two goals for Brazil in the 2014 World Cup, and helped his national team win a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics.
2. Doria
Doria’s another exciting young talent, known for his stocky and powerful build as one of the game’s great defenders. He plays for Marseille in France’s Ligue 1, with a no-nonsense style and ability to stay calm under great pressure.
3. Douglas Costa
Douglas came up from the same Gremio youth system as Ronaldinho and Anderson, before joining Ukrainian firm Shakhtar Donetsk. His sharp shooting style caught the eye of Bayern Munich, causing him to be signed in July 2015. Douglas helped the team secure victories against Hamburger SV and Borussia Dortmund. In the 2015-2016, he scored seven goals overall. Internationally, he’s also made a strong showing on the Brazil national team particularly during the 2015 Copa America. While he had to sit out the 2016 Olympics due to injury, he’s still making a name for himself.
4. Lucas Piazon
Born in 1994 in Sao Paulo, Piazon is one of the fresh crop of young players on loan by Chelsea. This left midfielder already has impressive experience under his belt, at the youth and reserve levels. He scored numerous goals at the FA Youth Cup in 2012, named Young Player of the Year. He signed the contract with Chelsea in 2012 and most recently was on loan with Reading where he scored five times during the season. This young player has also represented the Brazil national team at the Pan Am Games in 2015, helping secure a third-place win for the team.
5. Julio Cesar
While Cesar may not be as fresh-faced as players like Piazon, he’s still one to watch simply for being a goalkeeper at the very top of his game. He’s one of the best goalkeepers in the world, winning a European Champions League Title and 2010 World Cup. Currently with Benfica, Cesar is always a player to keep your eye on.
6. Danilo
Danilo Luiz de Silva is a slick and efficient right back. Born in 1991, he currently plays for Real Madrid after getting his start at America Mineiro and Santos. During his time at Santos, his goal helped win the team the 2011 Copa Libertadores. After this, Danilo made a splash with Porto where he helped secure several Primeira Liga titles. Danilo’s well-known in his home country, playing in the 2011 U-20 World Cup and appearing at the 2012 Olympics.
7. Lucas Evangelista
A young talent who still has yet to make a strong mark internationally, Lucas Evangelista is nevertheless an exciting player to watch. He hasn’t made as many appearances in his relatively short career as some others on this list, but his neat passes and swift dribbling ability makes him one to keep an eye out for.
8. Gabriel Barbosa
Entertaining to watch for his enormous self-confidence and style, Gabriel Barbosa is undoubtedly destined for greatness. He’s tipped to be the next Neymar and has just been signed by Inter Milan. Although he may just be arriving on the scene in Europe, Brazilians are already quite familiar with “Gabigol” due to his time at Santos and his recent gold-medal winning performance at the 2016 Olympics.
9. Anderson Talisca
On loan to Turkish club Besiktas from Benfica, Anderson Talisca has been turning heads for a few years due to his impressive technical skills. Whether it’s his sprinting speed or passing power, Talisca gets the job done. He plays as either a forward or attacking midfielder, consistently reliable in his performance.
10. Marquinhos
Marcos Correa or “Marquinhos” hails from Sao Paulo and is a strong defender whose name is already known to most. He currently plays for Paris Saint Germain, where he’s earned his keep with his tackling and intercepting skills. On the international field, he’s played as part of the Under-21 side in 2014 where he helped the national team win the Toulon Tournament. Since then, he’s represented his country in the Copa America 2015, and most recently made a strong showing as part of the 2016 Olympic winning team. If any team can prise him away from PSG, they will be lucky to do so.
