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WHO'S THE NEXT KING? Is there a new Pelé amongst the next generation?
Many of these players are youngsters who've regretted leaving Brasil because of the attention they get there. Even after the current Brasilian coach Dunga's change of attitude, (unlike his predecessors, he has prioritized young, relatively unknown players who've been performing well in Europe), there are players who still prefer to go back to Brasil and try and carve out a place for themselves on the Brasil squad. "When I left Atlético I knew that I'd have less of a chance of being selected for the Olympic team, even if I did really well over here. I'm not on the television every week, so it's harder to draw attention to myself. But it's a price that I decided to pay", explains Lima.
Two players who left Brasilian football at a young age have retuned home again recently to get a shot at the limelight. Diego Rincon and Kleber, who left their clubs early on to play in the Russian league, are now playing on two major Brasilian teams - Corinthians and Palmeiras.
But it's more common for veteran players to return to Brasil after having carved out their careers in Europe. This year, the biggest event in Brasilian football so far was the return of Denilson, who left the country in 1997 and was a player on the winning team at the 2002 World Cup. The striker, ex-Real Betis and once an idol of São Paulo FC supporters, winded up playing for rival team Palmeiras, at 31 years of age.
Some players on the Brasil squad aren't that well known, like Túlio de Melo, from Le Mans. The player hit the headlines after scoring the winning goal for his team against Lyon, his 11th in the French championships. Lyon is very popular in Brasil because several Brasilian footballers play for the team – including idol Juninho Pernambucano.
The striker started off his career with Atlético Minero in 2003, but was transferred the following year to Swedish team AaB Aalborg, on a temporary basis. He played 19 matches and scored 6 goals, drawing the attention of Le Mans, where he was transferred the following year.
His story is similar to striker Alfonso Alves', who played for Brasil last year after scoring 30 goals for Heereenven, in Holland. Túlio, who's old enough to play in the Olympics, dreams of going to Peking this year.
The most talked-about player in Europe however has to be goalkeeper Diego, who plays for Almeira. Despite having something of a high profile in Brasil, Diego wasn't that popular amongst supporters. But, after just a few months in Spain, he's already beaten the record set by fellow goalie Iker Casillas, of Real Madrid-fame. The first Brasilian goalkeeper to play in Spanish football, Diego has been on the pitch for 618 minutes without letting any balls into the back of the net, compared to Casillas' record of 575 minutes. That's six goal-free games in all.
Statistically speaking, with the amount of amazing footballers emerging in Brasil each year since 1958, the new Pelé must surely have been born by now. But the King himself has explained why he'll never lose his crown: "The Pelé phenomenon was divine intervention; it's hard to explain, but it will never happen again".
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