Brazil 2002 World Cup winning squad: Where are they now?
One of the greatest teams to ever grace the football pitch, the 2002 Brazil team was full of superstars who lived upto their potential. Playing some beautiful football along the way, the South American giants wowed football supporters all over the world with their grace and attacking football.
The squad had the right mix of youth, experience and talent which helped Brazil to win the World Cup without losing a single game in the entire tournament. The team coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari underlined Brazilian’s dominance in international football by helping the Samba boys claim their 5th World Cup title.
Overcoming Germany 2-0 in the final, the 2002 Selecao team is remembered fondly by football purists. 15 years have passed since then nd we take a look as to where the historic 23 man squad of Brazil are now.
The order of the players is according to the jersey numbers they donned during the tournament. Let us start off with Brazil’s number 1 and first choice keeper Marcos.
#1 Marcos
Then
Brazil’s first choice goalkeeper during the entire tournament, the then 28-year-old Marcos played an integral part in Brazil’s victory. A one-club man throughout his career, Marcos played for Palmeiras where he first gained attention due to his stunning and consistent performances.
In fact, in 2002 after his fantastic World Cup performance, he was supposed to sign for Arsenal. He even went to London to complete the signing but disappear just before signing the contract. After a few days, he gave a statement saying that he would rather play Serie B with Palmeiras than play in any European club just for the money.
Now
Marcos called time on his hugely successful international career in 2005, although he continued playing for Palmeiras till 2012. Widely considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers Brazi has ever produced, the former Brazil number 1 is a true hero in his homeland. One of the club’s greatest idols, Marcos was nicknamed Sao Marco (Saint Marcos) by his fans.
On January 4, 2012, at the age of 38, Marcos announced his retirement from football, due to his advanced age and the many injuries that marked his career. Now, Marcos occasionally works as a pundit and also as an advisor to the Palmeiras football team.