Brazil’s 2002 World Cup Winners: Where Are They Now?
As England prepared to face Brazil in Shizuoka with a spot in the 2002 World Cup semifinals at stake, some pundits believed the time had arrived for the Three Lions to defeat the mighty Seleção on the big stage for the very first time.
There was a sense that Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side were defensively frail, bereft of midfield technicians and solely reliant on their three-pronged attack laden with genius. This was no Brazil outfit that could imitate their global conquests of yesteryear, they said, even if their champions from eight years before had failed to capture hearts and minds in the United States.
Brazilian football expert Simon Clifford fought back against English optimism, suggesting that Scolari’s side had won their opening four games of the tournament without exiting "second gear". Clifford recognized the unpopularity of Scolari’s back three back home, but credited the manager for harmonizing a group of players who weren’t all that fond of each other four years prior in France, when they were led by legendary player and manager Mário Zagallo.
Still, it was Michael Owen who struck first in their quarterfinal, meaning Brazil, if they were to keep their hopes of securing a fifth World Cup alive, required a similar rescuing act to their Matchday 1 comeback against Türkiye.
On that occasion, Rivaldo and Ronaldo proved the difference. This time, the third musketeer came to the fore. While Rivaldo restored parity, it was Ronaldinho’s sumptuous run that created the opening, and the man tipped by Pelé to take the tournament by storm subsequently produced the winning moment, courtesy of an infamous David Seaman misjudgment.
The goalscorer, though, will tell you that he plotted with his captain, Cafu, to outwit Seaman, who "played off his line" and was beaten by Real Zaragoza’s Nayim from range in the Cup Winners’ Cup seven years prior, when Cafu was playing for the Spanish side.
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Ronaldinho’s harsh dismissal just before the hour mark offered England a chance at redemption, but the Three Lions faltered in the Far Eastern heat and failed to capitalise on their man advantage.
Brazil progressed, and Ronaldo’s cathartic finale to the tournament resulted in Cafu, the flying wing back who wasn’t trusted to play in a back four by Scolari, holding the World Cup trophy aloft in Yokohama.
The 2002 squad may not be revered to the degree of their triumphant sides from 1958 and, especially, 1970, but immortals they nonetheless became on June 30, 2002. Here’s what each player is getting up to now, more than two decades on.
Goalkeepers
Dida
Dida was the first Afro-Brazilian goalkeeper to represent the Seleção since Moacir Barbosa, who was partly blamed for Brazil’s infamous defeat in the 1950 final to Uruguay, sparking years of prejudice against black Brazilian shot-stoppers.
Dida helped break that barrier, but he wasn’t the starter at the 2002 tournament, thanks to a couple of years of indifference at Milan. His peak arrived in the aftermath of the World Cup, returning to the Rossoneri after a brief loan with Corinthians. Dida helped Milan to two Champions Leagues in 2003 and 2007, and although an egregious error never escaped his repertoire, he’s regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation.
He spent a decade with Milan and gained Italian citizenship in 2013. Dida returned to the grand Italian club in 2020 as a goalkeeper coach, and he still turns out for their ’glorie’ team when called upon.
Rogério Ceni
The utterly unique Ceni started his international career in 1997, and he was Brazil’s third-choice goalkeeper at the 2002 World Cup.
Famed for his goalscoring antics, Ceni never found the back of the net for his country, but scored more than 100 goals during his 22-year career with São Paulo. After making his 870th appearance for the club in 2015, Ceni turned to management.
His first job with long-time home São Paulo ended in disaster, but he had more success with Fortaleza and won the Série A title with Flamengo in 2020. After a second ill-fated spell with São Paulo, Ceni took on the Bahia job in 2023 and guided the club to Campeonato Baiano and Copa do Nordeste glory in 2025.
Marcos
Marcos served as Brazil’s No. 1 throughout the tournament, playing every single minute.
While Dida hadn’t yet emerged as the goalkeeper he’d later evolve into, Scolari’s previous relationship with the long-time Palmeiras shot-stopper was decisive in Marcos’ prominent role. He conceded four goals on the way to the final and kept his fourth clean sheet in the tournament’s showpiece event.
Dida would take the reins soon after the tournament, with Marcos earning just four more caps between 2003 up until his retirement in 2005. However, he did try to make the 2006 World Cup and 2007 Copa América squads.
His club career with Palmeiras didn’t draw to a close until 2012, by which time he’d firmly established himself as a Verdão icon.
Defenders
Cafu
Captain Cafu was 36 when he was selected by Carlos Alberto Parreira for the 2006 World Cup, as Brazil failed to meet expectations by succumbing to a Zinedine Zidane-inspired France in the quarterfinals.
Regarded as one of, if not the, greatest right backs ever, Cafu retired in 2008 and turned to philanthropy. When he’s not shaking off the rust for Milan’s ’glorie’ team, Cafu is busy with his foundation, Fundação Cafu, which he established in 2004.
Lúcio
Lúcio started every game for Brazil at the 2002 World Cup, having arrived in the Far East off the back of a heartbreaking conclusion to the 2001–02 season with Bayer Leverkusen.
One of the most underrated defenders of his generation, Lúcio spent the bulk of his prime with Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Inter, where he won the treble under José Mourinho in 2010.
He played at three World Cups and didn’t retire until 2019, but is now firmly out of the limelight and only makes the odd public appearance.
Roque Júnior
The left-sided defender only failed to start Brazil’s final group game against Costa Rica at the tournament, but his career faded pretty drastically after reaching the pinnacle.
Roque Júnior left Milan in 2004, having embarked on a brief loan spell in the Premier League with Leeds United, and he made 35 league appearances for Bayer Leverkusen between 2004 and 2007 before retiring at 34 in 2010.
Away from football, Roque was a popular host of “Total Request Live” on MTV Brazil for a decade before briefly turning to management.
Edmílson
Lyon’s Edmílson operated at the heart of Brazil’s defence in the Far East, playing every minute throughout the knockout stages.
A four-year spell in Ligue 1 came to an end in 2004 when Barcelona came calling, and the Brazilian defender subsequently won the Champions League with the Blaugrana in 2006. His career in Spain petered out after missing the World Cup in Germany through injury, and he moved to Villarreal in 2008.
Edmílson played out the final couple of years of his career in the humble hubs of Real Zaragoza and Ceará, and in 2019, he helped reboot SKA Brazil—which is already recognized as one of the most promising youth academies in the country.
Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos serves as an ambassador to Real Madrid, having made 370 La Liga appearances for Los Blancos between 1996 and 2007.
The buccaneering left back was one of a kind, and he remains an infectious personality with his playing days long behind him. The Brazilian retired for a second time in 2016, after making three appearances for the Delhi Dynamos.
Coaching wasn’t for him, so he now features in an array of football charity matches across the globe and even turned out for a Shrewsbury pub team in January 2022.
Juliano Belletti
Management may not have been in Roberto Carlos’s DNA, but it looks like Juliano Belletti is preparing himself for a prosperous coaching career.
The match-winner of the 2006 Champions League final, Belletti is currently the manager of Barcelona Atlètic, having guided Barça’s U19s to UEFA Youth League glory earlier in 2025.
Will he embark on a Pep Guardiola-like career arc?
Ânderson Polga
Remarkably, Ânderson Polga became the first World Cup winner to play in Portugal when he joined Sporting CP from Grêmio in 2003. He subsequently spent the next nine years in Lisbon, winning four trophies.
The defender hasn’t exactly had the most glittering career beyond the pitch. In 2023, he was arrested for failing to make child support payments.
Júnior
Júnior served as Roberto Carlos’ deputy throughout the tournament, and he certainly made the most of his single appearance. The left wing back scored Brazil’s fifth in their 5–2 rout of Costa Rica, which would prove to be the only goal he scored for his country.
He had a relatively modest playing career, spending four years in Italy with Parma before returning home and enjoying spells at São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro and Goiás.
It would seem as if Júnior hasn’t gotten up to much since retiring in 2011.
Midfielders
Ricardinho
Ricardinho made a couple of substitute appearances at the tournament, with his career peaking during a four-year spell with Corinthians. He was part of the team that stunned Real Madrid in the 2000 Club World Cup final, but was withdrawn at half-time.
A diminutive left-footed playmaker, Ricardinho had a forgettable spell with Middlesbrough in 2004 but starred upon his return to Brazil with Santos after.
He hung up his boots in 2011 and turned to management, taking charge of eight clubs between 2012 and 2018.
Gilberto Silva
Who else impressed you out there today? Tell me your pick at Striver app and join our conversation 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾https://t.co/YnpNJ3Av5K pic.twitter.com/GbXuYtaQ9e
— Gilberto Silva (@GilbertoSilva) November 23, 2025
Gilberto Silva just seems like an all-round top bloke.
The former Arsenal midfielder was the lynchpin of Brazil’s engine room at the tournament, and would later establish himself in Premier League folklore as one of the Gunners’ ’Invincibles’. Silva subsequently had spells with Panathinaikos, Grémio and Atlético Mineiro before retiring in 2014.
He’s since taken on punditry roles, briefly served as Panathinaikos’ technical director and still serves as an ambassador to FIFA and Arsenal. Silva’s also been a patron of The Street League, a UK-based charity that arranges football matches for the homeless, asylum seekers and refugees, for more than 20 years.
Kléberson
Kléberson’s stellar tournament in the Far East famously earned him a move to Manchester United, with Sir Alex Ferguson taking note of the midfielder’s performance against Paul Scholes in the aforementioned quarterfinal.
Labelled by Scolari as the "driving force" of Brazil’s World Cup triumph, Kléberson arrived at Manchester with lofty expectations, but his time at Old Trafford was pretty disastrous.
A dislocated shoulder disrupted his acclimatisation, and Kléberson struggled to adjust to the demands of the Premier League. Fergie played him out wide, and his partnership with Roy Keane was awkward at best when the Brazilian found himself in the centre. He lasted just two years, joining Beşiktaş in 2005.
His playing career would ultimately peak in the summer of ’02. and 20 years on, Kléberson joined Philadelphia Union’s Next Pro side as an assistant coach. He’s now New York City’s assistant.
Vampeta
Nicknamed ’Vampeta’ by childhood ’friends’, who thought he was, if Wikipedia is to be believed, "ugly and toothless," the Brazilian midfielder played for Inter and Paris Saint-Germain before the tournament, and subsequently embarked on a journeyman career in his homeland.
Vampeta had a brief managerial career and has since taken to broadcasting. He currently works as a commentator for Brazilian outlet Jovem Pan Esportes and is supposedly a wicked storyteller.
It’s probably worth doing your research on ’Vampetaço’, too.
Juninho
The Middlesbrough icon was paired alongside Gilberto Silva by Scolari at the start of the 2002 World Cup, with the duo in midfield boasting a harmonious relationship that allowed the superstars in attack to flourish.
Kléberson took Juninho’s mantle in the quarterfinal and failed to relinquish his starting berth, but the latter did earn minutes off the bench in the final against Germany.
Juninho retired in 2010 and immediately moved into a boardroom role with Ituano. He spent almost a decade in the position, before serving as the Seleção’s coordinator for four years between 2019 and 2023.
Kaká
One of the youngest members of the squad, Kaká hadn’t yet garnered superstardom but would soon be recognized as one of the world’s most elegant and, somewhat contradictory, destructive playmakers.
Kaká blossomed in Milan and earned a big move to Real Madrid in 2009, but fitness issues prevented the Brazilian from shining brightly in the Spanish capital. His career wound down in Major League Soccer with Orlando City, and there’s now talk of the former attacking midfielder dipping his toe into management.
A devout Christian, Kaká also spends his time speaking at various religious and humanitarian events. He’s an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations’ World Food Programme, and ignored "cut back" cries from a teammate when he rocked up in London for a game of six-a-side in 2020.
Rivaldo
The 1999 Ballon d’Or winner simply didn’t want his career to end. He finally called it quits at the age of 43 in 2015, having played in Uzbekistan and Angola to prolong his playing days.
Rivaldo’s kept himself busy over the last decade, supporting his son’s professional career and has twice appeared in Soccer Aid. He’s also a shareholder Farul Constanța club and previously served as the president of boyhood club Mogi Mirim.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho vs Man Utd, 2010 🍿#UCL pic.twitter.com/4Vr57bGyNg
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 14, 2025
He was no Romário, but Ronaldinho was a bit of a party boy during his playing days, and he’s certainly making the most of his post-football career. Well, apart from the five months he spent in a Paraguayan prison for possessing false documents.
The all-time great has been out of the game for a decade, embarking on an array of ventures ranging from cryptocurrency to Hollywood. In 2018, he appeared in the American martial arts film ’Kickboxer: Retaliation’.
Ronaldinho’s 78 million Instagram followers can enjoy posts that celebrate his playing days, as well as his latest partnership with an Italian winery.
Forwards
Ronaldo
Ronaldo was never quite the phenomenon of his youth after suffering two devastating knee injuries during his time with Inter, but his World Cup redemption in 2002 left the all-time great striker with a sense of career fulfillment.
He was perhaps the most lucrative of all Real Madrid’s ’Galácticos’, but Los Blancos often struggled to coalesce as a collective on the big stage, which meant the club had to wait until 2014 to achieve ’La Decima’.
Ronaldo’s career wound down with Milan and Corinthians, retiring at 34. As one of the most recognizable names and faces the sport has seen, ’R9’ has never been bereft of media appearances and sponsorships. He’s also taken to club ownership, although his takeover of Spanish side Real Valladolid proved deeply unpopular and he sold his stake in May 2025 after seven years at the helm.
Denílson
A modern-day Real Betis legend, Denílson was barely used at the 2002 World Cup by Scolari. In fact, he played just a single minute—albeit in the final.
The winger’s career declined after leaving Betis in 2005, although he did have one good season with Bordeaux in 2005–06. After that, he opted for paydays pay days in Saudi Arabia and the United States before returning to Brazil. He retired after a brief spell in Vietnam in 2009, but took to the field at 44 for lower league side Ibis Sport Club in 2022.
Denílson has also worked as a commentator and pundit.
Edílson
Edílson was used sporadically at the tournament and came into Scolari’s starting XI for the semifinal against Turkey due to Ronaldinho’s suspension.
The canny forward was a versatile operator used as a reliever by Scolari. He was an experienced head by the time the 2002 World Cup rolled around and wouldn’t play for his country again after. Edílson’s club career wouldn’t conclude until 2010, though.
Edílson once said he was "better" than Neymar at his best, and "more talented" than Cristiano Ronaldo, so you can see why he took to football punditry after hanging up his boots.
He’s certainly not shy of personality, but he’s also been in trouble with the law. Edílson has been arrested on multiple occasions for failing to make child support payments and was charged with fraud in 2015.
Luizão
Luizão never made the grade in Europe, but was a prolific marksman at Corinthians during a three-year spell.
The striker scored four in 12 games for Brazil, but didn’t find the back of the net during his two substitute appearances at the 2002 World Cup.
He jumped from club to club in the aftermath, calling it a day in 2008. Like a few of this alumni, Luizão has retained a low profile in retirement.
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