Brazilian women’s soccer has always been a powerhouse, and one of the most important positions in any team is that of midfielder. Brazilian midfielders are known for their ability to dominate the midfield, defend with precision and initiate attacks with accurate passes. In this article, we’ll explore the 10 best Brazilian midfielders of all time, detailing their careers, titles, curiosities, life stories and records.
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Best Brazilian midfielders of all time
1. Luana Bertolucci
- Brazilian national team: participation in the World Cup and Olympic Games
Titles
- Swedish Championship (1 time)
- Norwegian Championship (2 times)
- Copa América: 2022 (Brazilian national team)
- Paulista Cup: 2022 (Corinthians)
- Campeonato Paulista: 2023 (Corinthians)
- Brazilian Super Cup: 2023 (Corinthians)
- Brazilian Championship: 2023 (Corinthians)
- Copa Libertadores: 2023 (Corinthians)
- Silver Ball – Best midfielder: 2023
Starting the list of the best Brazilian midfielders of all time, Luana began her career in futsal before switching to field soccer and is known for her ability to distribute the ball and read the game.
Abroad, she spent four years in Norway playing for Avaldsnes Idrettslag. In 2019, he went to South Korea and played for Hwacheon KSPO WFC.
In Brazil, he played for São Bernardo, São Caetano and Associação Desportiva Centro Olímpico, Adeco.
She recently signed a contract with Corinthians, one of the biggest women’s soccer teams in Brazil, and was voted the best midfielder of 2023. In other words, she is at the peak of her career, but at 31 we can already say that she is part of the select group of the best Brazilian midfielders of all time.
2. Ant
Titles
- Paulista Women’s Football Championship: 1997, 1999 (São Paulo)
- Women’s Brazil Cup: 1997 (São Paulo)
- Paulista Women’s Football Championship: 2008 (Botucatu)
- Potiguar Women’s Football Championship: 2012 (América de Natal)
- Copa Libertadores de Futebol Feminino: 2011, 2013, 2014 (São José)
- Women’s Brazilian Football Cup: 2012, 2013 (São José)
- Women’s Club World Cup: 2014 (São José)
- São Paulo Women’s Football Championship: 2012, 2014, 2015 (São José)
- French Women’s Football Championship: 2020-21 (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Women’s French Cup: 2017-18 (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Pan American Games: 2003, 2007, 2015 (Brazilian national team)
- Women’s Copa América: 1995, 1998, 2003, 2010, 2014, 2018 (Brazilian National Team)
- Runner-up – Women’s World Cup: 2007
- Runners-up – Pan American Games: 2011
- Runners-up – UEFA Champions League: 2016-17
- Silver Ball 2016 – Outstanding Women’s Footballer
One of the most iconic names in women’s soccer worldwide, Formiga was the oldest player to score in a Women’s World Cup and couldn’t be left out of a list of the best Brazilian midfielders of all time.
She is the athlete with the most appearances in World Cups and Olympic Games, among both women and men, totaling seven appearances in each championship, and has been fundamental to the growth of women’s soccer in Brazil today.
3. Júlia Bianchi
Titles
- Copa Libertadores: 2015 (Ferroviária)
- Catarinense Championship: 2018, 2019 (Avaí/Kindermann)
- Copa Paulista: 2021 (Palmeiras)
- Copa Libertadores: 2022 (Palmeiras)
- Campeonato Paulista: 2022 (Palmeiras)
- South American Under-17 Championship: 2012 (Brazilian national team)
- South American Under-20 Championship: 2014, 2015 (Brazilian national team)
- Brazilian Championship squad: 2020 (Avaí/Kindermann)
- Brazilian Championship Selection: 2021 (Palmeiras)
- Silver Ball selection: 2022 (Palmeiras)
Júlia began her career as a midfielder, but excelled as a defensive midfielder.
She currently plays for the Chicago Red Stars in the United States, in one of the most competitive leagues in international women’s soccer.
4. Érika Cristiano dos Santos
Titles
- Mercosur Cup: 2006 (Santos)
- National League: 2007 (Santos)
- Paulista Championship: 2007 (Santos)
- Copa do Brasil: 2008 and 2009 (Santos)
- Copa Libertadores: 2009 (Santos)
- Paranense Championship: 2010 (Foz Cataratas)
- French Cup: 2017-18 (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Brazilian Championship: 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023 (Corinthians)
- Copa Libertadores: 2019, 2021 (Corinthians)
- Campeonato Paulista: 2019, 2020, 2021 (Corinthians)
- Paulista Cup: 2022 (Corinthians)
- South American Under-20 Championship: 2006 and 2008 (Brazilian National Team)
- Silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics (Brazilian national team)
- International Tournament: 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014 (Brazilian National Team)
- Copa América: 2010 and 2018 (Brazilian National Team)
- Gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto (Brazilian national team)
- Yongchuan International Tournament: 2017 (Brazilian National Team)
A versatile player, Érick has also made important appearances as a defender throughout her career.
She currently plays for Corinthians, and was recently part of the women’s soccer team at Paris Saint-Germain in France.
Her extensive list of titles and her physical ability, as well as her longevity, is one of the elements that make her one of the best Brazilian midfielders of all time.
5. Mariléia dos Santos
One of the great pioneers of women’s soccer in Brazil, Mariléia was part of the Brazilian Women’s National Football Team for 12 years, taking part in two World Cups and an Olympics.
She was part of the Brazilian women’s national team that played in the second World Cup in 1995. She was also part of the team that played in the first Olympic tournament for women’s soccer in Atlanta in 1996.
At club level, she was a member of the squads of great teams such as Radar, Corinthians, Santos, Internacional, Vasco da Gama, Saad (in Brazil) and Torino (in Italy).
Her importance to Brazilian soccer and her technical quality guarantee a special place for this great player among the best Brazilian midfielders of all time.
6. Thaísa de Moraes Rosa Moreno
Titles
- Brazilian Women’s Championship (2 times)
- Copa Libertadores (1 time)
- Women’s Copa América: 2018
Among the best Brazilian midfielders of all time, Thaísa was the first Brazilian to play for Real Madrid. She currently plays for Flamengo.
After impressive spells in European teams such as Spain, Sweden and Iceland, as well as teams in the United States, at the beginning of 2016 the star returned to Brazil to play for Ferroviária (2015), São José (2016) and Corinthians/Audax (2016). Returning to Europe, she played for Real Madrid, where she showed all her talent.
7. Grazielle Pinheiro Nascimento
Titles
- Silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games (Athens)
- Gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games
- Silver medal at the 2011 Pan American Games
- Brazil Cup: 2006 (Botucatu)
- Queen’s Cup: 2007 (Levante)
- Copa do Brasil: 2009 (Santos)
- Copa Libertadores: 2009 and 2010 (Santos) | 2017 (Corinthians/Audax) | 2019 and 2021 (Corinthians)
- Campeonato Paulista:Copa do Brasil: 2016 (Corinthians/Audax)
- Brazilian Championship: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 (Corinthians)
- Paulista Championship: 2010, 2011 (Santos) | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 (Corinthians)
- Brazilian Super Cup: 2022, 2023 (Corinthians)
- Paulista Cup: 2022 (Corinthians)
Known for her ball handling skills and precise passing, she was one of the leaders of the Brazilian national team’s midfield in the 2000s.
One of the best Brazilian midfielders of all time, she had spells at clubs such as São Paulo, Portuguesa, Santos, Botucatu and Corinthians.
8. Djenifer Becker
Titles
- Brazilian national team: Participation in U-20 and senior tournaments
- Clubs: Internacional, Santos
- Titles: Brazilian Women’s Championship (once), Catarinense Championship (twice)
Currently a Flamengo player, the star is a standout when it comes to her vision and ability to recover the ball, making her one of the best midfielders in Brazil.
She won the Catarinense Championship twice in a row with Internacional.
9. Brena
Titles
- Brasileirão: 2017 (Santos)
- Paulistão: 2018 and 2020 (Santos)
- Copa Paulista: 2020 (Santos)
- Copa Libertadores runners-up: 2018 (Santos)
- Runner-up in the Brasileirão: 2018 (Santos)
- Best player in Paulistão: 2017
- Best midfielder in the Brasileirão: 2018
- Best midfielder in Paulistão: 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022
- Silver Ball – Best midfielder: 2023
- Top scorer in the Copa Libertadores: 2018 (4 goals)
- Top scorer in the Carioca U-17 Championship: 2012 (5 goals)
Known for her defensive prowess and accurate passing, Brena began her career in futsal before switching to field soccer.
She currently plays for Palmeiras, but has played for important clubs such as Vasco da Gama, Botafogo, Foz do Iguaçu and Santos. He also had a spell in European soccer, playing for Avaldsnes IL in Norway.
Read also: 10 best Brazilian strikers of all time: a list of icons!
10. Kaylane
Titles
- Brazilian national team: Participated in U-17 and U-20 tournaments
- Clubs: Flamengo, Madrid CFF
- Titles: Carioca Women’s Championship (1 time)
At just 21 years old, Kaylane is already one of the new stars who could potentially make the list of the best Brazilian midfielders of all time.
A star at Flamengo, she is one of the young promises of Brazilian women’s soccer and is already known for her speed and marking ability.
List of the 10 best Brazilian midfielders of all time
- Luana Bertolucci
- Ant
- Júlia Bianchi
- Érika Cristiano dos Santos
- Mariléia dos Santos
- Thaísa de Moraes Rosa Moreno
- Grazielle Pinheiro Nascimento
- Djenifer Becker
- Brena
- Kaylane
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