The Brazil national under-23 football team (Portuguese: Seleção Brasileira de Futebol Sub-23) represents Brazil in international football competitions during Olympic Games and Pan American Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players. The team is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). Brazil U23 is one of the most successful teams in the Olympic football tournament, having won it twice (2016 and 2020).
The Olympic football tournament was the last international competition in football organized by FIFA which Brazil had never won until they won at home in 2016. They had previously won three silver medals (1984, 1988, 2012) and two bronze medals (1996, 2008).[1] The team was often coached by the in-charge senior team coach in the past, such as Mário Zagallo in 1996, Vanderlei Luxemburgo in 2000, Dunga in 2008 and Mano Menezes in 2012.
History
1952–1976 Summer Olympics
Brazil's first participation in the Olympics was in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952. In that year, Brazil reached the quarter-finals, when they were eliminated by West Germany 4–2.[2] In 1960, in Rome, Italy,[3] in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan,[4] in 1968 in Mexico City, Mexico,[5] and in 1972 in Berlin, West Germany,[6] Brazil was eliminated in the first stage. In Montreal, 1976, Brazil was defeated by Poland 2–0 in the semi-finals, then Brazil was defeated by the Soviet Union 2–0 in the bronze medal match, finishing in the fourth place.[7] In these six participations, Brazil was represented by a team of junior or non-professional players as the Olympics did not allow professional players to participate during this period, all while state-sponsored communist players were allowed to compete.
1984 Summer Olympics – Los Angeles
Starting in 1984, professional players were allowed to participate. However, European and South American teams, as traditional football powerhouses that won every single FIFA World Cup, were restricted to players with no more than five "A" caps at the start of the tournament. Brazil won its first medal in 1984, in Los Angeles, United States. In the group stage, Brazil beat Saudi Arabia 3–1, West Germany 1–0 and Morocco 2–0. In the quarter-finals Brazil defeated Canada in the penalty shootout, then they beat Italy 2–1 after extra-time in the semi-finals, but was beaten by France 2–0 in the gold medal Match, thus winning the silver medal.[8]
1988 Summer Olympics – Seoul
The second Brazilian silver medal was won in Seoul, South Korea, in 1988. Brazil won the medal after defeating in the group stage Nigeria 4–0, Australia 3–0 and Yugoslavia 2–1. In the quarter-finals Brazil beat their South American rivals Argentina 1–0, then defeated West Germany in the penalty shootout, but was defeated by the Soviet Union 2–1 after extra time in the gold medal match.[9] Romário was the competition's top goal scorer with seven goals.[10]
1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta
Starting in 1992, only players under the age of 23 were allowed to participate, with an exception of three overage players in the team. Brazil, managed by senior team coach, Mário Zagallo, won the bronze medal for the first time in 1996, in Atlanta, United States. In the group stage, Brazil was beaten by Japan 1–0 in the first match, then they beat Hungary 3–1 and Nigeria 1–0, finishing in the group's first position. After beating Ghana 4–2 in the quarter-finals, Brazil was defeated by Nigeria 4–3 after extra time. In the bronze medal match, Brazil beat Portugal 5–0.[11]
2000 Summer Olympics – Sydney
Brazil, managed by senior team coach, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, was eliminated in the quarter-finals. In the group stage, Brazil beat by Slovakia 3–1 in the first match, then they were beaten by South Africa 3–1. In the last group match, Brazil beat Japan 1–0 to secure the first position in the group stage. In the quarter-finals, Brazil was beaten by Cameroon 1–2, who later won the gold medal.[12]
2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup
In December 2002, CBF appointed Ricardo Gomes as the coach for the Brazil Olympic team who were preparing for the 2004 Olympics. Prior to Olympic qualifying, the Brazil Olympic team or Brazil U23 was sent to compete at the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Brazil was invited to the tournament and decided to send their Under-23 team, due to their senior team competing a month earlier at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. Although Brazil competed with an U23 team, all the appearances and goals in this tournament were recognized by FIFA as full international caps.[13] The Brazil U23 team advanced all the way to the final, but were defeated by Mexico 0–1 after extra time, denying Brazil the chance to be the first guest team to win the tournament. The following year Brazil failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games after losing out to Paraguay and Argentina in the qualifying tournament.[14]
2008 Summer Olympics – Beijing
Brazil, managed by senior team coach, Dunga, finished in the first position in the group stage, ahead of Belgium, New Zealand and China, which they beat 1–0, 5–0 and 3–0 respectively.[15] In the second round, Brazil beat Cameroon 2–0 after extra time.[16] Brazil and Argentina met on August 19 in the semi-final game of the competition. The game was marred by numerous fouls and two ejections for Brazil. Argentina won 3–0.[17] In the bronze medal match, Brazil beat Belgium 3–0.[18]
2012 Summer Olympics – London
Brazil, under coach Mano Menezes, was defeated by Mexico 2–1 in the gold medal match, played on 11 August,[19] after beating Egypt, Belarus and New Zealand in the preliminary round, Honduras in the quarter-finals and South Korea in the semi-finals. Before the Games, they beat Great Britain 2–0 in a friendly game.
2016 Summer Olympics – Rio de Janeiro
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Brazil finished in the first position in the group stage, ahead of Denmark (won 4–0), Iraq (tied 0–0) and South Africa (tied 0–0), with the two latter games were a slumpy start for Brazil. In the second round, Brazil beat Colombia 2–0 and in the semi-final match, Brazil played a one-sided game against Honduras and won 6–0. In the final against Germany, on 20 August 2016 – the first match between the two teams in any FIFA-sanctioned tournament since the historic 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-final – Brazil edged a 5–4 victory on penalties after a 1–1 draw. Neymar, captaining the side, scored the decisive penalty to win the tournament for the first time ever.[20]
2020 Summer Olympics – Tokyo
Brazil qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics as the runners-up, of the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament in a rather difficult campaign. The team finished at the top of their group with 7 points, following a 4–2 win over Germany, a 0–0 draw to Ivory Coast and a 3–1 win over Saudi Arabia. They beat Egypt 1–0 in the quarter-finals, and Mexico in the semi-finals with a 4–1 victory in the penalty shootouts following a 0–0 draw in extra time. In the final against Spain, Matheus Cunha opened the score for Brazil in the first half and a Mikel Oyarzabal goal in the second half forced the match into extra time; Malcom scored the winning goal in the 108th minute, which lead Brazil to their second Olympic gold medal, consecutively after their first win in Rio five years prior.[21][22]
Results and fixtures
Win Draw Loss
2023
Brazil| 7 September 2023 Friendly | Morocco  | 1–0 | Brazil | Fez, Morocco |
| 20:00 UTC+1 | El Ouahdi  72' | Report | Stadium: Fez Stadium Referee: Sow Sandigui (Senegal) |
United States| 23 October 2023 Pan American Games | Brazil | 1–0 | United States | Viña del Mar, Chile |
| 18:00 UTC−3 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Sausalito Referee: José Matos Uzcategui (Venezuela) |
Colombia| 26 October 2023 Pan American Games | Brazil | 2–0 | Colombia | Valparaíso, Chile |
| 20:00 UTC−3 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Elías Figueroa Brander Referee: José Burgos (Uruguay) |
Honduras| 29 October 2023 Pan American Games | Brazil | 3–0 | Honduras | Valparaíso, Chile |
| 13:00 UTC−3 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Elías Figueroa Brander Referee: José Matos Uzcategui (Venezuela) |
Brazil| 1 November 2023 Pan American Games | Mexico  | 0–1 | Brazil | Viña del Mar, Chile |
| 20:00 UTC−3 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Sausalito Referee: Bryan Loayza (Ecuador) |
Brazil| 4 November 2023 Pan American Games | Chile  | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p) | Brazil | Viña del Mar, Chile |
| 20:00 UTC−3 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Sausalito Referee: Yender Herrera Toledo (Venezuela) |
| Penalties | ||||
2024
Brazil| 23 January 2024 2024 Pre-Olympic Tournament GS | Bolivia  | 0–1 | Brazil | Caracas, Venezuela |
| 16:00 UTC−4 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Brígido Iriarte Referee: Derlis López (Paraguay) |
Colombia| 26 January 2024 2024 Pre-Olympic Tournament GS | Brazil | 2–0 | Colombia | Caracas, Venezuela |
| 19:00 UTC−4 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Brígido Iriarte Referee: Cristián Garay (Chile) |
Ecuador| 29 January 2024 2024 Pre-Olympic Tournament GS | Brazil | 2–1 | Ecuador | Caracas, Venezuela |
| 16:00 UTC−4 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Brígido Iriarte Referee: Gustavo Tejera (Uruguay) |
Brazil| 1 February 2024 2024 Pre-Olympic Tournament GS | Venezuela  | 3–1 | Brazil | Caracas, Venezuela |
| 19:00 UTC−4 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Brígido Iriarte Referee: Cristián Garay (Chile) |
Paraguay| 5 February 2024 2024 Pre-Olympic Tournament FS | Brazil | 0–1 | Paraguay | Caracas, Venezuela |
| 16:00 UTC−4 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Brígido Iriarte Referee: Roberto Pérez (Peru) |
Brazil| 8 February 2024 2024 Pre-Olympic Tournament FS | Venezuela | 1–2 | Brazil | Caracas, Venezuela |
| 19:00 UTC−4 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Brígido Iriarte Referee: Gery Vargas (Bolivia) |
Argentina| 11 February 2024 2024 Pre-Olympic Tournament FS | Brazil | 0–1 | Argentina | Caracas, Venezuela |
| 16:30 UTC−4 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Brígido Iriarte Referee: Cristián Garay (Chile) |
Players
Current squad
The following 18 players were called up for the 2023 Pan American Games.[23]
- Caps and goals correct as of 4 November 2023, after the match against Chile.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Mycael | 12 March 2004 (aged 19) | 4 | 0 | Athletico Paranaense |
| 12 | GK | Andrew | 1 July 2001 (aged 22) | 1 | 0 |  Gil Vicente |
| 14 | GK | Matheus Donelli | 17 May 2002 (aged 21) | 1 | 0 | Corinthians |
| 2 | DF | Miranda | 19 January 2000 (aged 23) | 5 | 1 | Vasco da Gama |
| 3 | DF | Michel | 20 May 2003 (aged 20) | 4 | 0 | Palmeiras |
| 16 | DF | Thauan Lara | 22 January 2004 (aged 19) | 5 | 1 | Internacional |
| 13 | DF | Gustavo Martins | 11 August 2002 (aged 21) | 5 | 1 | Grêmio |
| 4 | DF | Arthur Chaves | 29 January 2001 (aged 22) | 5 | 0 | Académico de Viseu |
| 6 | DF | Patryck Lanza | 18 January 2003 (aged 20) | 5 | 0 | São Paulo |
| 5 | MF | Ronald | 11 February 2003 (aged 20) | 5 | 2 | Grêmio |
| 8 | MF | Matheus Dias | 9 May 2002 (aged 21) | 4 | 0 | Internacional |
| 11 | MF | Guilherme Biro | 20 April 2004 (aged 19) | 5 | 1 | Corinthians |
| 15 | MF | Igor Jesus | 7 March 2003 (aged 20) | 5 | 0 | Flamengo |
| 10 | MF | Marquinhos | 7 April 2003 (aged 20) | 5 | 0 |  Nantes |
| 7 | MF | Gabriel Pirani | 4 December 2002 (aged 20) | 5 | 1 | D.C. United |
| 9 | FW | Matheus Nascimento | 3 March 2004 (aged 19) | 4 | 0 | Botafogo |
| 18 | FW | Figueiredo | 14 August 2001 (aged 22) | 4 | 0 | Vasco da Gama |
| 17 | FW | Kaio César | 15 February 2004 (aged 19) | 5 | 0 | Coritiba |
Overage Players are marked with asterisk (*).
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up to a Brazil under-23 squad in the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Gabriel Grando | 29 March 2000 | 0 | 0 | Grêmio | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| GK | Matheus Cunha | 24 May 2001 | 1 | 0 | Flamengo | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| DF | Arthur | 17 March 2003 | 1 | 0 |  Bayer Leverkusen | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| DF | Vinicius Tobias | 23 February 2004 | 1 | 0 |  Real Madrid Castilla | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| DF | Welington | 19 February 2001 | 1 | 0 | São Paulo | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| DF | Abner | 27 May 2000 | 4 | 0 | Real Betis | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| DF | Vitão | 2 February 2000 | 0 | 0 | Internacional | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| DF | Robert Renan | 11 October 2003 | 1 | 0 |  Zenit Saint Petersburg | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| DF | Morato | 30 June 2001 | 0 | 0 | Benfica | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| DF | Lucas Halter | 2 May 2000 | 0 | 0 | Goiás | v. 2023 Pan American GamesINJ |
| DF | Rikelme | 16 July 2003 | 0 | 0 | Cuiabá | v. 2023 Pan American GamesWIT |
| DF | João Moreira | 21 May 2004 | 0 | 0 | São Paulo | v. 2023 Pan American GamesINJ |
| MF | João Gomes | 12 February 2001 | 0 | 0 |  Wolverhampton | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023INJ |
| MF | Danilo | 29 April 2001 | 0 | 0 | Nottingham Forest | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023INJ |
| MF | Andrey Santos | 3 May 2004 | 1 | 0 | Nottingham Forest | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| MF | Marlon Gomes | 14 December 2003 | 1 | 0 | Vasco da Gama | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| MF | Maurício | 22 June 2001 | 1 | 0 | Internacional | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| MF | Aleksander | 8 October 2003 | 1 | 0 | Fluminense | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| MF | Bitello | 7 January 2000 | 1 | 0 | Grêmio | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| MF | Gabriel Moscardo | 28 September 2005 | 1 | 0 | Corinthians | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| FW | Luiz Henrique | 2 January 2001 | 0 | 0 | Real Betis | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023WIT |
| FW | Paulinho | 15 July 2000 | 25 | 7 | Atlético Mineiro | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| FW | Lázaro | 12 March 2002 | 1 | 0 | Almeria | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| FW | Vitor Roque | 28 February 2005 | 1 | 0 | Athletico Paranaense | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| FW | João Pedro | 26 September 2001 | 1 | 0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| FW | Igor Paixão | 28 June 2000 | 1 | 0 |  Feyenoord | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| FW | Marcos Leonardo | 2 May 2003 | 1 | 0 | Santos | v. Morocco, 7 September 2023 |
| FW | Gabriel Veron | 3 September 2002 | 0 | 0 | Porto | v. 2023 Pan American GamesINJ |
| ||||||
Overage players in Olympic Games
| Tournament | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldair (DF) | Rivaldo (MF) | Bebeto (FW) | |
| Did not select | |||
| Thiago Silva (DF) | Ronaldinho (MF) | Did not select | |
| Thiago Silva (DF) | Marcelo (DF) | Hulk (FW) | |
| Weverton (GK) | Renato Augusto (MF) | Neymar (FW) | |
| Aderbar Santos (GK) | Diego Carlos (DF) | Dani Alves (DF) | |
Manager history
Professionalism restriction era (1952–1988)
- Newton Cardoso (1952–1959)
- Gradim (1959–1960)
- Vicente Feola (1960)
- Antoninho (1960–1962)
- Sylvio Pirillo (1962–1963)
- Antoninho (1963–1964)
- Vicente Feola (1964)
- Celso Marão (1968)
- Antoninho (1971–1972)
- Zizinho (1975–1976)
- Cláudio Coutinho (1976)
- Mário Travaglini (1979)
- Jaime Valente (1979–1980)
- Gílson Nunes (1983)
- Cléber Camerino (1984)
- Jair Picerni (1984)
- Jair Pereira (1986)
- Carlos Alberto Silva (1987–1988)
U-23 era
- Ernesto Paulo (1991–1992)
- Carlos Alberto da Luz (1994)
- Mario Zagallo (1994)
- Pupo Gimenez (1995)
- Jairo Leal (1995)
- Mario Zagallo (1996)
- Vanderlei Luxemburgo (1999–2000)
- Valinhos (2003)
- Ricardo Gomes (2003–2004)
- Luiz Antonio Nizzo (2007)
- Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri (2008)
- Ney Franco (2011–2012)
- Mano Menezes (2012)
- Alexandre Gallo (2014–2015)
- Rogério Micale (2015–2016)
- André Jardine (2019–2021)
- Ramon Menezes (2023–)
Competitive record
- Most goals scored
- Matheus Cunha 21 goals
- Most goals scored in a single match
- Aírton (7 goals) vs.
United States, 28 April 1963 - Caio (4 goals) vs.
Bolivia, 23 February 1996 (U-23 era)
- First goal scored
- Humberto Tozzi vs.
Netherlands, 16 July 1952 - Sílvio vs.
Argentina, 4 December 1991 (U-23 era)
- Biggest victories
- 14–0 vs.
Nicaragua, 17 October 1975 - 10–0 vs. United States, 28 April 1963
- 9–0 vs.
Colombia, 30 January 2000 - 9–1 vs.
Haiti, 2 September 1959 - 7–0 vs.
Trinidad and Tobago, 23 October 1975 - 7–0 vs. United States, 7 April 1999
- 7–0 vs. Trinidad and Tobago, 12 January 2000
- 7–1 vs. Colombia, 27 December 1959
- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
- **Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
- ***Right arrow (→) means an actual tournament status.
CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament
For the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics, the qualification tournament was the South American Youth Football Championship.
| CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1960 | Third place | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 10 | |
| 1964 | Runners-up | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | |
| 1968 | Champions | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | |
| 1971 | Champions | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | |
| 1976 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2 | |
| 1980 | Fifth place | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 12 | |
| 1984 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |
 1987 | Champions | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | |
| 1992 | Group stage | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
| 1996 | Champions | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 6 | |
| 2000 | Champions | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 6 | |
| 2004 | Third place | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 5 | |
| 2020 | Runners-up | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 7 | |
 2024 | Third place | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 7 | |
| Total | 7 Titles | 85 | 51 | 19 | 15 | 166 | 78 | |
Pan American Games
| Pan American Games record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host and Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| Buenos Aires 1951 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| Mexico City 1955 | |||||||||
| Chicago 1959 | Silver medal | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 11 | Squad |
| São Paulo 1963 | Gold medal | 1st | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | Squad |
 Winnipeg 1967 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| Cali 1971 | |||||||||
| Mexico City 1975 | Gold medal | 1st | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 2 | Squad |
 San Juan 1979 | Gold medal | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | Squad |
| Caracas 1983 | Silver medal | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Squad |
| Indianapolis 1987 | Gold medal | 1st | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | Squad |
 Havana 1991 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| Mar del Plata 1995 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | Squad |
| Winnipeg 1999 | Did not enter | ||||||||
 Santo Domingo 2003 | Silver medal | 2nd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 2 | Squad |
| Rio de Janeiro 2007 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | Squad |
| Guadalajara 2011 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | Squad |
| Toronto 2015 | Bronze medal | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 7 | Squad |
| Lima 2019 | Did not qualify[24] | ||||||||
| Santiago 2023 | Gold medal | 1st | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | Squad |
| Total | 5 Gold medals | 12/19 | 55 | 38 | 11 | 6 | 154 | 40 | — |
- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
- **Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
- ***Right arrow (→) means an actual tournament status.
Honours
- South American Games:
Bronze medalists (1): 1986
Friendlies
- Camel Nations Cup[25]:
- Winners: 1988
- Copa Mercosur[26]:
- Winners: 1995
- Wuhan Youth Soccer Tournament[27]:
- Winners: 2014
- Toulon Tournament:
- Winners: 2019