Brazil have stunned the world for decades with the brilliance of their football and with their gifted and talented players such as Pele, Ronaldo, Ronalindho and many others. The question however is when will this footballing giant next win another world cup? For it has been almost twenty years at the time of writing since the 'Seleção' as they are known in the country have actually managed to win this coveted title. The last time was in Asia in Japan when the Brazilians faced that one country which is the closest to claiming the title of the kings of world football or at least the kings of the world cup, Germany. On that night on the 30th of June in Japan's second biggest metropolis of Yokohama, the Germans were vanquished by the Brazilians who after the match led by their captain laid their hands yet again on the famous golden trophy of the world cup.

Then in following world cups the title was won by Italy and then Spain in 2006 and 2010 respectively. In 2014 however football may not have quite 'come home', a phrase used by the English when they hosted the 1996 European championships but football went to the country which was the foremost in dominating it in the world cup, the mighty Brazilians. The only country to have entered every single world cup without fail, the only country to have won five world cups. The country was in a state of great excitement and anticipation at what the 'Seleção' would achieve. The nation was gripped and there existed great expectations that the Brazilian team would win a world cup at home. They had won in countries such as Sweden, the United States, Japan, Mexico and even regional neighbour Chile, but this would be different. This would be a national celebration. This would be a national festival where for one month the country would be able to temporarily suspend the problems that it, just as all countries do, face and focus on immersing themselves in the sheer joy and euphoria of winning the world cup.

Alas, what happened in that tournament will persist for long in the Brazilian psyche but not for the reasons that millions of Brazilians had expected and wanted. For it was in that competition that Brazil were eliminated. Removed from the world cup by who? Well the country that is their closest competitor to being viewed as the most successful side in world football, Germany. It was not just the defeat but the manner of the defeat. The Germans long cited as an example of footballing efficiency, strength and organisation did not just beat the Brazilians they inflicted on them a loss which arguably transcends sport and enters the annals of Brazilian national history and their collective cultural memory. Goal after goal, from the German side managed by Joachim Löw, went in to the Brazilian net. The Brazilian manager was the same person who had twelve years earlier defeated the Germans in Yokohama, Felipe Scolari. The game ended 7-1 with the Brazilians managing a consolation goal which at least avoided a complete whitewash.

It has been 7 years since then*[i]. In the following world cup quite different to tropical south America and in the colder climbs of northern Eurasia, Russia, the Brazilians fared a bit better, in the sense of having no spectacularly humiliating defeats, but were knocked out of the tournament by Belgium. So when will a Brazilian captain hold the world cup trophy aloft with millions of his fellow countrymen celebrating in his home country? Nobody can say. What we can perhaps ponder upon is what are the reasons for the country not winning. Well first of all tournament-wise it helps to put things in context. It has been four tournaments since Brazil's last world cup triumph and they have not done spectacularly bad, but definitely not as well as their supporters would have liked them to. It is not merely a question of Brazil not doing as well as expected but also other teams doing very well.

The Spanish team that won the world cup in 2010 for example have even been acclaimed by some to be the greatest football team of all time, with their 'tiki-taka' style of football and featuring great players like Xavi and Iniesta. Some seem to identify as the main reason for their lack of success in the past years has been the lack of quality in terms of players. The recent crop of Brazilian players have not been on the same level as some of the great Brazilian players of the past which include Ronaldo, a phenomenally successful striker, or Ronaldinho a very talented midfielder or others such as Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and others. The player in 2014 for instance who was represented as being the star of the football team, Neymar, cannot be compared to the Brazilian legends of the past.

Others point to the lack of organisation on the part of the Brazilian football authorities including in nurturing talent from the grassroots. Then there are those who say that the decrease in talent is partly due to socio-economic factors such as ironically the relative increase in prosperity in Brazil and urbanisation has allegedly resulted in the decline of talented youth who honed and mastered their footballing skills in conditions of poverty. A lack of resources can at times force you to focus more on technique this argument goes. Exponents of this view also say that there are now less places to play.

The whole topic is complex and cannot be explained in a relatively short text. However one thing is clear there are millions in Brazil and around the world who are hoping one day for the return of another great Brazilian team that plays football in a captivating manner as many of the great Brazilian sides of the past.

Why do you think Brazil haven't won a world cup since 2002, give your reasons below?

When do you think they will win their next world cup?

2022, 2026, 2030, 2034....never?

[i] At the time of writing