At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Brazil participated for the 18th time in the event. The country remained as the only national team to have participated in every installment of the FIFA World Cup.
The Brazilian team reached the quarter-finals, where they were defeated by France, finishing the tournament in the fifth place — for the fourth time in history after 1954, 1982 and 1986.
Qualifying Brazil's qualifying for the event marked the first time in history in which a returning champion (the country had won the 2002 World Cup) had to play for a berth in the next World Cup — that had a direct effect in the organization of the 2006 World Cup: since the 1990 World Cup, the competition has had an opening match, which is played immediately after the Opening Ceremonies; until the last World Cup, this match was a privilege of the winner of the previous World Cup, who would play its first match as the first match of the given World Cup, against an opponent from its group, as decided by the official draw (in the 1990 World Cup, Argentina, winner of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, played Cameroon in the opening match; in 1994, Germany, winner of the 1990 World Cup, played Bolivia; in 1998, Brazil played Scotland and in 2002 France played Senegal). As of the 2006 World Cup, because of the change in the rules, with the last champion no longer having a secured berth in the competition, the opening match has become another privilege of the host nation (in the 2006 World Cup, Germany, as the host nation, played Costa Rica in the opening match). Despite being the returning champion, the Brazilian team debuted, against Croatia, only four days after the Opening Ceremonies and the opening match.
The national team qualified with more ease than in previous years. For the 1994 World Cup, Brazil only qualified in the very last match, against Uruguay, where a defeat would have meant missing out on the tournament. For the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Brazil had four different managers, and was once in serious jeopardy of being left out of the event.
The Qualifying for the 2006 World Cup repeated the format installed for the previous Qualifying tournament, in 2000 and 2001 (for the 2002 World Cup): all ten South American countries played each other, in two-leg matches, with the top four teams qualifying automatically for the World Cup, whereas the fifth-best team would play the champion of Oceania, which was Australia, for a berth in the World Cup.
Brazil finished first, winning the Qualifying tournament. The results were the following:
+ ResultsDateVenueOpponentScoreEstadio Metropolitano, Barranquilla2:1Vivaldão, ManausEcuador1:0Estadio Nacional, LimaPeru1:1Pinheirão, CuritibaUruguay3:3Defensores del Chaco, AsunciónParaguay0:0Mineirão, Belo HorizonteArgentina3:1Estadio Nacional, SantiagoChile1:1Morumbi, São PauloBolivia3:1Estadio José Pachencho Romero, MaracaiboVenezuela5:2Estádio Rei Pelé, MaceióColombia0:0Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, QuitoEcuador0:1Serra Dourada, GoiâniaPeru1:0Centenario, MontevideoUruguay1:1Beira-Rio, Porto AlegreParaguay4:1Monumental de Nuñez, Buenos AiresArgentina1:3Estádio Mané Garrincha, BrasíliaChile5:0Estadio Hernando Siles, La PazBolivia1:1Mangueirão, BelémVenezuela3:0
The final standings were the following:
+ Final StandingsCountryPtsPldWDLGFGAGDBrazil3418972351718Argentina34181044291712Ecuador 281884623194Paraguay 281884623230Uruguay 25186752328-5Colombia 241866624168Chile 22185761822-4Venezuela 181853102028-8Peru 18184682028-8Bolivia 141842122037-17
World Cup preparation
A month before the start of the competition, the Brazil national team took quarters in the small Swiss town of Weggis, at the Weggis Park Hotel. The objective was to get the team accustomed to Germany's climate while maintaining the focus on the competition. The preparation started on 22 May and ended on 4 June.
During this time, the Brazilian team played two friendly matches. The first was on 28 May, against the under-20 team of the Brazilian club Fluminense, which was in Europe to play a tournament and took a detour to Switzerland to meet and play the national team; this match ended 13–1 in favour of the national team.http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/pt/060529/1/5w5j.html The second match was played against the state team of the Swiss Lucerne. The match took place in Basel, at the St. Jakob Stadion and was won by the Brazilian team with a score of 8 goals to nul.http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/pt/060530/6/5wrc.html
For this period in Switzerland, the Brazilian Football Confederation sold the rights to explore the presence of the national team to a Swiss events enterprise. In exchange for the declared amount of US$1.2 million, the Swiss company was allowed to sell tickets for the practice sessions — which were sold at €40 each, for about 5,000 people per session —, negotiate permissions for vending points to operate within the training facility and surrounding area — which were sold for about €2,000 plus 10% of the profit — and to organize and explore the friendly matches that the national team was to play during its preparation in Switzerland.
On 31 May, only 13 days away from the team's debut in the World Cup, defender Edmílson was cut from the squad due to a knee injury he had sustained during the practice session the day prior. São Paulo's Mineiro was called to take his place.
Upon leaving Weggis, on 4 June the national team made a stop in Geneva on 5 June to play its last friendly match before arriving in Germany. There, the team played New Zealand at the Stade de Genève – refereed by Jerome Laperriere – defeating New Zealand 4–0.http://oglobo.globo.com/especiais/copa2006/mat/284103256.asp
Finally, the team travelled to the German town of Königstein im Taunus, which invested the declared amount of €500,000 in order to prepare for receiving the Brazilian team.
Draw Traditionally, the host nation (in this case, Germany) is the first seed, being placed in Group A. On 6 December 2005, so as to prevent a possible match between Brazil and Germany before the final, FIFA placed the previous competition champion as the sixth seed, in Group F. The opponents of the Brazilian team in the first stage were, respectively, Croatia, Australia and Japan.
History Round Robin
The Brazilian team had never faced any of its first round opponents before in World Cups. But other matches, both official and friendly ones, have taken place. The history of those matches until, but not including, the 2006 World Cup is as follows:
OpponentMatchesVictoriesTiesDefeatsGoals scoredGoals concededFirst matchLast matchCroatia1010111:1 1:1 Australia5311911:0 0:1 Japan75201631:0 2:2 source
Round of 16
Prior to their meeting in the Round of 16 of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Brazil and Ghana had played only one friendly match. Although this was officially a match between the two main teams, Brazil played it using its under-23 team (the so-called "Olympic squad"), as the match was a part of the preparation for the football competition of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
OpponentMatchesVictoriesTiesDefeatsGoals scoredGoals concededFirst matchLast matchGhana1100828:2 8:2 source
Quarter-final
Both the first and the last matches between Brazil and France prior to their 2006 World Cup quarter-final encounter were friendly matches. The last one was a commemorative display for FIFA's centennial anniversary.
OpponentMatchesVictoriesTiesDefeatsGoals scoredGoals concededFirst matchLast matchFrance1254321173:2 0:0 Sources:
World Cup squad Number / Name Club Birthdate Pld Goals YC RC Goalkeepers 1 Dida Milan 10 July 1973 5 0 0 0 12 Rogério Ceni São Paulo 22 January 1973 1 0 0 0 22 Júlio César Internazionale 3 September 1979 0 0 0 0 Defenders 2 Cafu (captain) Milan 7 June 1970 4 0 2 0 3 Lúcio Bayern Munich 8 May 1978 5 0 1 0 4 Juan Bayer Leverkusen 1 February 1979 5 0 2 0 6 Roberto Carlos Real Madrid 10 April 1973 4 0 0 0 13 Cicinho Real Madrid 24 June 1980 2 0 0 0 14 Luisão Benfica 13 February 1981 0 0 0 0 15 Cris Lyon 3 June 1977 0 0 0 0 16 Gilberto Hertha BSC 25 April 1976 1 1 1 0 Midfielders 5 Emerson Juventus 4 April 1976 3 0 1 0 8 Kaká Milan 22 April 1982 5 1 0 0 10 Ronaldinho Barcelona 21 March 1980 5 0 0 0 11 Zé Roberto Bayern Munich 6 July 1974 5 1 0 0 17 Gilberto Silva Arsenal 7 October 1976 4 0 0 0 18 Mineiro 1 São Paulo 2 August 1975 0 0 0 0 19 Juninho Lyon 30 January 1975 3 1 0 0 20 Ricardinho Besiktas 31 May 1976 2 0 0 0 Forwards 7 Adriano Internazionale 17 February 1982 4 2 1 0 9 Ronaldo Real Madrid 22 September 1976 5 3 2 0 21 Fred Lyon 31 October 1981 1 1 0 0 23 Robinho Real Madrid 25 January 1984 4 0 1 0 Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira 27 February 1943 Pld = matches played, YC = yellow cards, RC = red cards.
1 Mineiro replaced Edmílson, who was cut due to a knee injury.
Matches All times local (UTC+2)
Round robin
Group F TeamPtsPldWDLGFGAGD1. 9330071+62. 431115503. 2302123-14. 1301227-5
First Round
Brazil vs Croatia
Tuesday, 13 June 2006 21:00 - Olympiastadion, Berlin - Attendance: 72,000 1 – 0 (1 – 0)Kaká 44'
BRAZIL: GK 1 DidaDF 2 Cafu (C)DF 3 LúcioDF 4 JuanDF 6 Roberto CarlosMD 5 Emerson MD 8 KakáMD 11Zé RobertoFW 7 AdrianoFW 9 Ronaldo(- 70')FW 10RonaldinhoSubstitutions:FW 23Robinho(+ 70')Coach:Carlos Alberto Parreira
Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico) Assistant referees: José Ramírez (Mexico) Héctor Vergara (Canada) Fourth official: Mohamed Guezzaz (Morocco) Fifth official: Brahim Djezzar (Algeria) Man of the match: Kaká
Second Round
Brazil vs. Australia
Sunday, 18 June 2006 18:00 - FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich, Munich - Attendance: 66,000 2 – 0 (0 – 0)Adriano 49'Fred 90'
BRAZIL: GK 1 DidaDF 2 Cafu (C) DF 3 LúcioDF 4 JuanDF 6 Roberto CarlosMD 5 Emerson(-72')MD 8 KakáMD 11Zé RobertoFW 7 Adriano(-88')FW 9 Ronaldo(-72') FW 10RonaldinhoSubstitutions:MD 17Gilberto Silva(+ 72')FW 23Robinho(+ 72') FW 21Fred(+ 88')Coach:Carlos Alberto Parreira
Referee: Markus Merk (Germany) Assistant referees: Christian Schräer (Germany) Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany) Fourth official: Marco Rodríguez (Mexico) Fifth official: Leonel Leal (Costa Rica) Man of the match: Zé Roberto
Third Round
Brazil vs Japan
Thursday, 22 June 2006 21:00 - FIFA World Cup Stadium Dortmund, Dortmund - Attendance: 65,000 1 – 4 (1–1)Tamada 34' Ronaldo 46'+, 81' Juninho 53' Gilberto 59'
BRAZIL: GK 1 Dida (C) (- 82')DF 3 LúcioDF 4 JuanDF 16Gilberto DF 13CicinhoMD 8 Kaká (- 71')MD 17Gilberto SilvaMD 19JuninhoFW 23RobinhoFW 9 Ronaldo (C +82')FW 10Ronaldinho (- 71')Substitutions:MD 11Zé Roberto (+ 71')MD 20Ricardinho (+ 71')GK 12Rogério Ceni (+ 82')Coach:Carlos Alberto Parreira
Referee: Éric Poulat (France) Assistant referees: Lionel Dagorne (France) Vincent Texier (France) Fourth official: Jerome Damon (South Africa) Fifth official: Enock Molefe (South Africa) Man of the match: Ronaldo
Knockout stage
Round of 16 – Brazil vs Ghana
Tuesday, 27 June 2006 17:00 - FIFA WM-Stadion Dortmund, Dortmund - Attendance: 65,000 3 – 0 (2 – 0)Ronaldo 5'Adriano 46+'Zé Roberto 84'
BRAZIL: GK 1 DidaDF 2 Cafu (C)DF 3 LúcioDF 4 Juan DF 6 Roberto CarlosMD 5 Emerson (- 46')MD 8 Kaká (- 83')MD 11Zé RobertoFW 7 Adriano (- 61')FW 9 RonaldoFW 10RonaldinhoSubstitutions:MD 17Gilberto Silva(+ 46')MD 19Juninho(+ 61')MD 20Ricardinho(+ 83')Coach:Carlos Alberto Parreira
Referee: Ľuboš Micheľ (Slovakia) Assistant referees Roman Slysko (Slovakia) Martin Balko (Slovakia) Fourth official: Mark Shield (Australia) Fifth official: Nathan Gibson (Australia) Man of the match: Zé Roberto
Quarter-final – Brazil vs France
Saturday, 1 July 2006 21:00 - FIFA WM-Stadion Frankfurt, Frankfurt - Attendance: 52,000 0 – 1 (0 – 0) Henry 57'
BRAZIL: GK 1 DidaDF 2 Cafu (C) (-76')DF 3 Lúcio DF 4 Juan DF 6Roberto CarlosMD 8 Kaká(-79')MD 10RonaldinhoMD 11Zé RobertoMD 17Gilberto SilvaMD 19Juninho(-63')FW 9 Ronaldo (C+76') Substitutions:FW 7 Adriano(+ 63')DF 13Cicinho(+ 76')FW 23Robinho(+ 79')Coach:Carlos Alberto Parreira