Football was introduced into Brazil by Scottish railway engineers in the 1890s, and Brazilians took to it like a duck to water. By the 1920s the Rio and Sao Paulo leagues which dominate Brazilian football had been founded, and Brazil became the first South American country to compete in the World Cup ( Copas) in Europe, sending a squad to France in 1938. Brazil is the only country in the world to have participated in every Copa. Getulio Vargas was the first in a long line of Brazilian presidents to make political capital out of the game, building the beautiful Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo and then the world's largest stadium, the Maracana in Rio, for the 1950 World Cup , which Brazil hosted.

In that competition they had what many older Brazilians still think was the greatest Brazilian side ever, which hammered everybody, and then in the final, with the whole country already celebrating, came up against Uruguay. Unfortunately the Uruguayans hadn't read the script and won 2-1, a national trauma that still haunts popular memory nearly fifty years on.

Yet success was not long in coming. A series of great teams, all with Pele as playmaker, won the World Cup in Stockholm in 1958 (the only World Cup won by a South American team in Europe), Chile in 1962 and, most memorably of all, 1970 in Mexico . Mexico saw the side that is now widely regarded as the greatest in football history, with Pele playing alongside such great names as Jairzinho, Rivelino, Carlos Alberto, Gerson and Tostao. As three-time winners, Brazil also got to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy, the original World Cup. Most also agree that the 1982 Brazilian team built around Socrates, Falcao, Eder and Cerezo was extraordinary, although they lost 3-2 to the eventual winners, Italy, in one of the greatest matches in football history.

It took Brazil until 1994 to reclaim the World Cup, deservedly beating Italy on penalties in a dramatic climax to what had been an occasionally dull final. It touched off enormous popular rejoicing, as Brazil became the first country to win the World Cup for the fourth time. This was a triumph built on such un-Brazilian virtues as a combative rather than a creative midfield, and a solid defence. Only in attack, where the genius of Romario found the perfect foil in Bebeto, was the 1994 side truly Brazilian.

Four years later, Brazil looked well placed to defend their crown in France, but despite the galaxy of stars they had lined up - including the prodigy Ronaldo - they had an unconvincing campaign, were slightly lucky to get to the final, and then lost to a good but not great French side to whom they were clearly superior on paper. This loss crystallized a feeling of unease at home about the direction of the national side, which was widely felt to have sold out to commercial interests, with stars making their living in Europe and forgetting their roots.

There is something to this: the 1990s did see an unprecedented amount of money pouring into Brazilian football, and the fact that the national side did not manage to score a single goal in open play in two World Cup finals would have been unthinkable to the 1970 and 1982 sides. But the favelas and small towns, to whom football offers a glittering exit route, are a permanent conveyor belt of talent, and Brazil will always be a contender at the highest level. The 2002 campaign, when the team will be built around Ronaldo (if fit) up front, Rivaldo in midfield, Roberto Carlos at the back and A.N. Other in goal will be no exception.