Brazilian footballers have been the toast of the beautiful sport of football since its inception. They are known for their impeccable skills, trickery, pace, determination and passion for the sports.
Brazil is arguably the best football nation in the world and home to some world-class players, boasting household names like Pele, Ronaldo De Lima, Romario, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Neymar and many others over the years.
This is why top clubs from Europe often keep an eye on the Brazilian league to scout for emerging young talents. The Brazilian league almost always have one or two prodigies that spark a bidding battle for elite European clubs.
Endrick Felipe who currently plays for Real Madrid is the latest talent to emerge from the league. The young star is currently one of the Brazilian footballers taking the world by storm. He has found it difficult to establish himself as a regular starter in the team.
Because the team currently boasts of some of the finest players in the world. Before his move to Madrid, the club won the Uefa Champions League with the likes of Vinicious Jr, Rodrigo and Jude Bellingham. The club also brought in Mbappe after courting the French man for two years.
Thus, it is understandable why the young talent has found limited time in the Los Blancos colours. Before his emergence, the sports have witnessed some emergence of young talents from the South American Nation. For example, Vini Jr. and Neymar Jr.
Brazilians are a hot cake and the envy of many clubs in their young age but as soon as they get to their late twenties, they experience a sharp decline and become liabilities to their clubs.
Some notable Brazilians like Ronaldo De Lima and Rivaldo who won the highly coveted Balon D’or award were tipped to dominate the game for a long period but as soon as they approached their late twenties, they became a shadow of themselves.
Why Aged Brazilian players Decline
Pundits and fans alike have postulated several reasons why the performance of Brazilian players declines when they get to their late twenties.
Shelf Life Exceeded
It is believed that the average shelf life of a footballer is between 12 and 15 years. Brazilians gain more recognition and prominence than the average footballer from Europe or Africa. So, many pundits believe it is only normal for Brazilian players to reach their diminishing returns before their counterparts.
Lack of Motivation
Some pundits have the notion that most Brazilians fade away in their late 20s because they have enjoyed ovation for a long period. Most of these players became famous at 16 and by the time they get to their mid or late twenties, they no longer put in the work required to stay on top of the game.
Financial Reasons
Football is a lucrative business and many people are in the sport for financial reasons. Most of the Brazilian players decline after making lots of money from the sports. Making money is the reason why some players got involved in the sports in the first place, so when they make enough money, they stop giving their best in training and games, thus, the decline in performance.
Notable Brazilian Footballers who faded in their 20s
De Lima Ronaldo
The Brazilian striker is widely regarded by some sections of fans as the best player to ever kick a ball. He is often regarded as the striker’s best striker.
He won multiple awards during his playing days to crown his legendary career. His talent was spotted at a very young age which made him move to the Netherlands to ply his trade with PSV.
His pace, agility, dribbling and shooting prowess made him too hot to contain by the defenders in the Dutch league. He soon moved to Barcelona to continue his exploit in Europe.
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Ronaldo De Lima is currently the youngest player to win the Balon d’Or. The Brazilian legend was that good. He spent a season with Barcelona where he helped the club win a cup title and finished the league as the highest goal scorer.
He left the club the following season to Inter Milan where he suffered a career-changing injury. After recovering from injury, he found it difficult to attain his pre-injury form and by his late 20s, he was never the man who took the world by storm at the onset of his career.
Nermar Jr
Neymar’s time at Al Hilal is another reason why the club should be wary of investing in old Brazilian players. After spending six years in France, the star player decided to leave France for Saudi Arabia in a lucrative deal.
The deal made him the top three best earners in football. But the Saudi club are yet to reap their return on investment in the Brazilian. Neymar has been battling injury since his move to Al Hilal.
He sustained an unfortunate injury during an international break and he’s yet to get back to full fitness. Fans once thought the injury woes were behind the star player after making a brief comeback after a long spell on the sideline.
But sadly, he suffered a recurrent injury after making a few appearances and was sent back the Doctor’s table. Neymar has proven to be a bad investment for the club owners and an ample reason why club should think twice when investing in aged players from the South American nation.
Ronaldinho Gaucho
Ronaldinho was magical during his heyday in PSG and Barcelona. He is often credited for the turnaround Barcelona witnessed in the mid-2000s. After enjoying success in Barcelona which includes winning the Balon D’or, Dinho experienced a sharp decline in form.
His poor form made him surplus to requirement and when Guardiola took the reign as a Barca coach, he made it clear he doesn’t want to work with the Brazilian.
Then came Ac Milan who thought the Brazilian player still had a lot to offer. Ronaldinho moved to Milan in 2008 and spent three years with the Italian giants. He showed some sparks of brilliance in a few matches but never regained his best form.
Philippe Coutinho
The former Liverpool star boy is another reason to think twice when investing in an aged Brazilian player. Coutinho made his mark at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp but failed to win a major Trophy with the EPL side.
He then proceeded to Barcelona in the hope of winning the Champions League with the Spanish side. He failed on the quest but later won the highly coveted trophy during a loan spell with Bayern Munich.
In his later 20s, Aston Villa came calling with the hope the Brazilian still had his magic, but that proved to be a bad business.
Investing in aged Brazilian footballers who made it to the limelight at a young age has shown to be a risky move and clubs across the world are now taking note of this.