The World Cup’s most successful country hasn’t won the competition in over 20 years, but a group is emerging that has the talent to end that drought
when they revealed the finalists of NXGN 2023 on Tuesday, one country dominated the 50-member list. Brazil had eight players on the list of the best teenage talents in world football born in 2004 or later, including NXGN Nine Award winner Endrick.
Given that some of Brazil’s top talent have graced the upper echelons of the annual prodigy roster in recent years, such as Real Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, it’s hard not to get excited about the prospect of a new golden generation who stands up for the Selectao.
Of course, the Brazilian generations are ultimately judged on whether or not they win the World Cup.
Fans of the South American country typically see two generations, one led by Pele who won three world titles between 1958-70, and the team of Ronaldo, Cafu and eventually Ronaldinho who reached three consecutive finals and won twice, as the gold standard .
And while there hasn’t been a Ballon d’Or winner for the country since Kaká in 2007, there’s no doubt that Brazilian footballers are once again beginning to dominate the top flight of the European game. The recent Real Madrid-Liverpool combination in the Champions League, for example, had a record six different Brazilian internationals.
This year’s NXGN also suggests that the number will increase over the next decade.
Source: Goal