Football News

With its famed "jogo bonito", iconic stars and record five World Cup titles, Brazil has long been known as the "land of football".

BUT IS IT STILL?

The country of Pele, Garrincha and Ronaldinho, which once wowed the world with its 'samba' style, has not won the World Cup since 2002. Nor has it produced a Ballon d'Or winner since Kaka in 2007.

With the "Selecao" currently struggling to book its place at the 2026 World Cup, many in Brazil and beyond wonder why.

"We're at a low point. We used to have more top-quality athletes," the late Pele's eldest son, Edinho, told AFP recently.

Even President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has joined the national soul-searching, admitting Brazil "doesn't play the greatest football in the world anymore".

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

DISAPPEARING PITCHES

One answer could be the decline of street football, where some of Brazil's all-time greats started out, such as Rivellino, Zico, and Romario.

"Nobody plays in the street anymore. You don't hear stories about that kick that broke somebody's window," says amateur footballer Lauro Nascimento, his jersey stained with orange mud after playing on one of the few dirt pitches left on Sao Paulo's north side.

Nascimento, a 52-year-old finance professional who plays for local side Aurora, broke several toes playing football barefoot as a boy.

Today, the district of Vila Aurora, is covered in concrete sprawl. Two buildings stand on what was once open pasture used as a football pitch.

"Any open space used to be enough for kids to get their start in football. Now, they're seen as prime development real estate," says sports historian Aira Bonfim.

Nascimento and his friends pay $160 a month to rent the battered scrap of land where they play matches but that kind of money is a