Rank these Brazilian players

sun_tzu

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Interested in seeing the caf consensus on these players as to who was the best

Zico
Rivaldo
Ronaldiniho
Kaka
Neymar

Would be interested to know who had / hadn't seen zico play properly as well
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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Never saw Zico, so I'll not be rating him as it would be an ignorant rating based on hearsay.

1. Ronaldinho
2. Kaka
3. Neymar
4. Rivaldo

All world class players, of course. Ronaldinho and Kaka were on another level in their prime though. I will never forget Kaka's performance at OT in 2007. Ronaldinho from 2003-2006 was scary. It's a shame both of those greats fell so hard before they even hit 30, which seems to be a theme with Brazilian players. I predict Neymar will go the same way, he's already fell off a bit, although mostly due to injuries and a poor career move. I could easily see him back in Brazil or in China by 30.
 

paraguayo

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1-Ronaldinho
2-Rivaldo
3-Kaka
4-Neymar

Didn't see Zico but by all accounts he's at same level of Rivaldo.

If you are talking about national team alone Rivaldo is #1 by a wide margin, performed excellent in 98 and 2002
 

United58

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Never saw Zico, so I'll not be rating him as it would be an ignorant rating based on hearsay.

1. Ronaldinho
2. Kaka
3. Neymar
4. Rivaldo

All world class players, of course. Ronaldinho and Kaka were on another level in their prime though. I will never forget Kaka's performance at OT in 2007. Ronaldinho from 2003-2006 was scary. It's a shame both of those greats fell so hard before they even hit 30, which seems to be a theme with Brazilian players. I predict Neymar will go the same way, he's already fell off a bit, although mostly due to injuries and a poor career move. I could easily see him back in Brazil or in China by 30.
Kaka was unlucky with injuries, Ronaldinho was was lucky with women
 

(...)

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Haven't seen Zico, just before my time. For the rest :
1- Ronaldinho : Such a joy to watch, sure he wasn't consistent and his career was pretty short all things considered, but he produced some of my favourites moments watching Football on TV (PSG-OM, Barca-Madrid in particular). And the fact he did all that while partying like a mad man is amazing. As a pure talent, he's up there with the best ever, he had it all, an insane body, and a creative brain to match it.
2- Rivaldo : I saw that game live when he secured a CL spot by scoring a hat-trick with the craziest over-head kick I've seen. Defo in my personal top 3 football moment.
3- Kaka : I didn't watch Serie A when he was in his prime so I can't really judge him. Always felt a bit meh with Brazil.
4- Neymar : I think he's vastly over-rated. And his antics don't help.
 

Bulldog United

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Ronaldinho was my favourite. Brilliant player, brilliant attitude (at his peak), and he often looked like a player who knew he was living the dream on the pitch with a big smile on his face as he worked through his repertoire of tricks.

I can never shake Rivaldo's World Cup acting from my memory. Total cnut. Neymar might even be worse with the play acting, but I can somewhat forgive him with all the magical moments he has produced, and I'm always excited to see him play.

Zico I can't rank never saw him play, just a few short clips here and there.

1. Ronaldinho
2. Kaka
3. Neymar
4. Rivaldo
 

Invictus

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Bit perturbed by Rivaldo's low ranking in some of the other lists — definitely not as gifted or flamboyant as Ronaldinho and didn't have comparable appeal as a football celebrity, but a uniquely effective and key player for Brazil in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, top scorer in the 1999 Copa América, had a brilliant stint at Barcelona where he justifiably won the Ballon D'Or and once scored 36 in a season with a less than stellar cast around him, and had incredible longevity — performing at a reasonably good level well into his mid 30s. No way is he inferior to anyone but Zico from that pool when you consider the full extent of his career.

1. Zico
2. Rivaldo (overall career, consistency and impact on the Seleção) = Ronaldinho (individual skill, playmaking prowess and magnitude of peak)
4. Kaká
5. Neymar



:drool:
 

Fortitude

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Interested in seeing the caf consensus on these players as to who was the best

Zico
Rivaldo
Ronaldiniho
Kaka
Neymar

Would be interested to know who had / hadn't seen zico play properly as well
You actually already have them in order; by design or coincidence?
 

harms

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  1. Zico. He had it all - peak, ability, longevity, big-stage performances, stats. The definite number 1 with some gap behind him & the rest.
  2. Ronaldinho. His peak was close to Zico's, although he lacked Zico's ruthless goalscoring instincts. But career-wise, there's no comparison.
  3. Rivaldo. Mentality-wise years ahead of Ronaldinho and thinking about it, maybe I should put him second. Maybe a little less talent than the first 2, which says everything about the ridiculous level of the competition. Could do it all, really, and proved himself at the highest stages. His international career is also the most impressive out of all three — he was as important as Luis Ronaldo was in the 2002 win & he also became the MVP & the top scorer of the successful 1999 Copa America campaign.
  4. Kaka. Shame about the injuries. He'd lose his spot soon enough if he hasn't already, but what a devastating player at his best!
  5. Neymar. His recent stagnation affects my estimation of him. He would definitely become a number 4 in the future and he can break into the top-3 if he'll lead PSG or Brazil to a CL/WC title as their main man.
Tiers are always better :drool:

T1 - Zico
T2 - Ronaldinho, Rivaldo
T3 - Kaka, Neymar
 

paraguayo

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Bit perturbed by Rivaldo's low ranking in some of the other lists — definitely not as gifted or flamboyant as Ronaldinho and didn't have comparable appeal as a football celebrity, but a uniquely effective and key player for Brazil in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, top scorer in the 1999 Copa América, had a brilliant stint at Barcelona where he justifiably won the Ballon D'Or and once scored 36 in a season with a less than stellar cast around him, and had incredible longevity — performing at a reasonably good level well into his mid 30s. No way is he inferior to anyone but Zico from that pool when you consider the full extent of his career.

1. Zico
2. Rivaldo (overall career, consistency and impact on the Seleção) = Ronaldinho (individual skill, playmaking prowess and magnitude of peak)
4. Kaká
5. Neymar



:drool:
From my time living in Brazil, I can tell you they respect Rivaldo much more. Ronaldinho was a massive disappointment in 2006.

Another one much more respected in Brazil compared to outside of Brazil is Romario.
 

FootballHQ

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All I know is Gaucho is #1
Of course Ronaldinho was amazing at his peak but it was relatively short one, perhaps 2004-06? Guess you could say the same for Kaka but that was more to do with injuries. He was only 27 when he moved to Real Madrid.

Rivaldo was one of my favourites, loved that famous goal he scored v Valencia. It was a shame he played in more cautious and mediocre Barca teams. Had to put up with Van Gaal messing him about and he would've been great in the Rijkaard team that followed a few years later.

Ironically in terms of longevity Neymar is probably number one, been at a high level since 2013 but of course the illogical move to PSG has reduced his standing a bit.
 

BusterGonads

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Zico
Zico
Zico
Zico
Ronaldinho

For those who haven't seen him play catch the highlights on youtube. There was a great one to N'to's Trauma, might have since been deleted but there'll be others. Check it out, just wow!
 

TheReligion

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As said by some already I haven't watched enough of Zico so I won't include him. I'm also assuming Ronaldo isn't in the list as most would place him number 1.

1. Ronaldinho
2. Rivaldo
3. Neymar
4. Kaka

1 and 2 could be equal but I've gone with my heart and the showman that was Ronaldinho. Gutted the move to United fell through late in the day - was so close!

I've put Neymar ahead of Kaka as I think he's more naturally gifted and as I see him staying at a high level for longer. Kaka faded to obscurity pretty quickly from what I recall. I think if Neymar moves to a top team soon he'll go on to be successful into his early 30s.

Honourable mentions to some of my favourites. Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Edmundo and Romario.
 

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1)Zico is the greatest Brazilians player of this bunch. His free kicks were a menace, his passing long or short was spot on. His shooting was lethal and his goal scoring rate equalled that of Messi. If he he played the bulk of his career in Europe he would have been acknowledged as one of the big 5 (Messi, Maradona, Pele, Cruyff) His nickname the white Pele isn't just for show.

2)Ronaldinho the ultimate fans player, follows very shortly behind Zico. The only thing holding him back is longevity and a (much) lesser scoring rate

3) Neymar: I believe his best seasons are yet to come but he already is a legend of the game for much of the same reasons Ronaldinho is

4) Rivaldo: Spectacular player with a thunderbolt shot and all the other attributes that makes Brazilian players so awe inspiring

5) Kaka: a bit of a disappointment if you ask me, not nearly as majestic as the other 4
 
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Gio

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T1 - Zico
T2 - Ronaldinho, Rivaldo
T3 - Kaka, Neymar
Was about to post this.

Rivaldo’s big-game bollocks are under appreciated and he probably has the strongest national team portfolio of the five. But Ronaldinho is right up amongst the most captivating dribbling-based wide forwards of all time.

Neymar has the talent to join that tier yet has no case to date as he has never been the main man in his club or country being the best in the world. Everyone else in the list has done that as the talisman which has consolidated their legacies at the top table.
 

sun_tzu

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Are you going for attacking mids/10s?

Probably as you have them.

What's your order?
was having a chat with somebody about neymar and how good he was in relation to others - this chap had not seen zico play and I couldnt believe he thought zico wasnt as good as the rest so was wondering about the caf concensus

for me id say
Zico ..................consistently brilliant - goals and creativity
Ronaldiniho......A joy to watch and unplayable on his day
Rivaldo..............Big game player, effective wide and centrally, great control - looked like a total knob when he did that stupid dive at the world cup though
Neymar.............Amazing stats but dives a bit too much for my liking that said 61 goals in 100 games is impressive for a 27 year old and he will probably overtake pele as top goalscorer (still dives too much)
Kaka..................Such a good player - can hardly believe I rate him 5th but thats more about how good the others were than a slight on kaka
 

P-Nut

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As most others have said probably...

Zico
Ronaldinho
Rivaldo
Kaka
Neymar

If I was going for favourites I'd remove Zico due to not watching him live and swap Rivaldo with Kaka.
 

_00_deathscar

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Never saw Zico, so I'll not be rating him as it would be an ignorant rating based on hearsay.

1. Ronaldinho
2. Kaka
3. Neymar
4. Rivaldo

All world class players, of course. Ronaldinho and Kaka were on another level in their prime though. I will never forget Kaka's performance at OT in 2007. Ronaldinho from 2003-2006 was scary. It's a shame both of those greats fell so hard before they even hit 30, which seems to be a theme with Brazilian players. I predict Neymar will go the same way, he's already fell off a bit, although mostly due to injuries and a poor career move. I could easily see him back in Brazil or in China by 30.
Out of curiosity, how old are you? There is no way Rivaldo is a #4 on that list - at the very, very worst, behind Kaka, but even that doesn't do him anywhere near justice, as Rivaldo performed on the international stage.
I'd put him at #2 personally just behind Ronaldinho, only because Ronaldinho's peak was so ridiculous and he was a far more naturally gifted/talented player (perhaps the best that's ever been with the ball at his feet in terms of pure talent). Rivaldo had more longevity though.
 

Needham

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Zico was so good he was like a virus for the opposition.
 

Lay

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Rivaldo turned up at two world cups at was one of the best players. Kaka and Ronaldinho never did that.
 

do.ob

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I feel like Neymar is not getting enough appreciation as a footballer. I don't like what I see/read about his personality either and I think the switch to Paris was a mistake on an epic scale, but the fact remains that he's been a consistently great footballer since his teenage years, he's already Brazil's top scorer by quite a margin, despite their team not being nearly as dominant as before and mostly relying on him to make things happen. If longevity is at all a factor I don't think he can rank behind Kaka or Ronaldinho (as much as I loved watching him play).
 

Ødegaard

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Interested in seeing the caf consensus on these players as to who was the best

Zico
Rivaldo
Ronaldiniho
Kaka
Neymar

Would be interested to know who had / hadn't seen zico play properly as well
Don't remember Zico or Rivaldo.
I'd have it as Ronaldinho > Kaka > Neymar of who I'd want in my teams.
 

André Dominguez

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1)Zico is the greatest Brazilians player of this bunch. His free kicks were a menace, his passing long or short was spot on. His shooting was lethal and his goal scoring rate equalled that of Messi. If he he played the bulk of his career in Europe he would have been acknowledged as one of the big 5 (Messi, Maradona, Pele, Cruyff) His nickname the white Pele isn't just for show.
Agree to disagree. The Brazilian league was actually a very strong league until late 90s. A top Brazilian team would unsurprisingly beat the European champion if chance was there.
 

giorno

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At their absolute best:
1. Heh. Either Zico or Dinho. Maybe Zico edges it
3. Kaka
4. Neymar
5. Rivaldo

Career-wise

1. Zico
2. Dinho
3. Rivaldo
4. Kaka
5. Neymar

Still rate Dinho over Rivaldo because at his best he was just so much better than Rivaldo
 

André Dominguez

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Zico is extremely rated in Brazil. He's probably the only Flamengo legend that is even admired by rival fans, apart from Romário.
 

troylocker

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1. Ronaldinho - 2. Zico - 3. Neymar - 4. Rivaldo (All fantastic players, x-factor and probably all within top 50 of all time)
5. Kaka (fantastic player, just not as great as the other 4, among top 100 all time)
 

Righteous Steps

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I feel like Neymar is not getting enough appreciation as a footballer. I don't like what I see/read about his personality either and I think the switch to Paris was a mistake on an epic scale, but the fact remains that he's been a consistently great footballer since his teenage years, he's already Brazil's top scorer by quite a margin, despite their team not being nearly as dominant as before and mostly relying on him to make things happen. If longevity is at all a factor I don't think he can rank behind Kaka or Ronaldinho (as much as I loved watching him play).
His peak isn't as good, and his accomplishments at PSG are less renowned for the sheer one sided nature of that league, I'd rate him alongside Kaka but Ronaldinho a level above.
 

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Agree to disagree. The Brazilian league was actually a very strong league until late 90s. A top Brazilian team would unsurprisingly beat the European champion if chance was there.
Naturally, that's why I have him on top but he is forgotten these days because he only played for Udinese 2 seasons and not for Barca or Real. Europeans generally have no clue about football outside Europe.
 

Zlatattack

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Never saw Zico, so I'll not be rating him as it would be an ignorant rating based on hearsay.

1. Ronaldinho
2. Kaka
3. Neymar
4. Rivaldo

All world class players, of course. Ronaldinho and Kaka were on another level in their prime though. I will never forget Kaka's performance at OT in 2007. Ronaldinho from 2003-2006 was scary. It's a shame both of those greats fell so hard before they even hit 30, which seems to be a theme with Brazilian players. I predict Neymar will go the same way, he's already fell off a bit, although mostly due to injuries and a poor career move. I could easily see him back in Brazil or in China by 30.
Basically this.