Why do Brazil footballers use nicknames and what are all their World Cup players’ real names?
BRAZIL’s exciting young side are one of the big favourites for the World Cup.
With Neymar back firing and Tite at the helm, a nation expects after getting over the heartache on home soil eight years ago.
Neymar made a stunning return from injury for BrazilReuters
Why do Brazil footballers use nicknames?
FROM the president to the kid kicking a ball around in the street, everyone has a nickname in Brazil.
It’s part of the culture in the South American country, which stems from the days of Portuguese colonisation.
In Portuguese tradition a person has four names – so nicknames are common to avoid the potential mouthful.
For example, we all know the name Kaka – but he’s actually called Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite.
Neymar is in the form of his lifeEPA
What are all their World Cup players’ real names?
TITE named his 23-man squad as early as February.
You know them by their nickname, but here’s what his side are actually called:
Alisson – Alisson Ramses Becker
Ederson – Ederson Santana de Moraes
Weverton– Weverton Pereira da Silva
Eder Militao –Éder Gabriel Militão
Marquinhos – Marcos Aoás Corrêa
Thiago Silva – Thiago Emiliano da Silva
Bremer – Gleison Bremer Silva Nascimento
Dani Alves– Daniel Alves da Silva
Alex Telles– Alex Nicolao Telles
Danilo – Danilo Luiz da Silva
Bruno Guimaraes – Bruno Guimarães Rodriguez Moura
Casemiro – Carlos Henrique Casimiro
Everton Ribeiro– Éverton Augusto de Barros Ribeiro
Fabinho– Fábio Henrique Tavares
Fred – Frederico Rodrigues de Paula Santos
Lucas Paqueta – Lucas Tolentino Coelho de Lima
Neymar – Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior
Rodrygo – Rodrygo Silva de Goes
Vinicius Jr – Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior
Gabriel Jesus – Gabriel Fernando de Jesus
Gabriel Martinelli– Gabriel Teodoro Martinelli Silva
Richarlison – Richarlison de Andrade
Raphinha– Raphael Dias Belloli
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