05 September,2026 09:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
Brazil legend Cafu tackles a young female footballer in this series of three pictures during his visit to the Pillai University in Navi Mumbai on Friday. Pics/Atul Kamble
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[popcorn number="20" desc="No. of World Cup match appearances by Cafu - the most by any Brazilian player" class="Default"]
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Brazilian football legend Cafu couldn't stop smiling as he spent time with students, both on and off the football pitch, at the Pillai University in Navi Mumbai on Friday. It was in stark contrast to his playing days, when his fierceness as a deep defender stood out during Brazil's dominance that saw them reach three consecutive finals, in 1994, 1998, and 2002.
At the recent edition though Brazil could only reach the round of 16, further stretching their wait for another World Cup since they last won it under Cafu in 2002. He admitted the national team is going through a tough phase. "Brazil's national team has been going through a difficult period. You cannot compare this [generation] with the era when we played and reached three consecutive World Cup finals. That era has passed. This is a new generation with new players, and we have to root hard so that they can achieve what we did - reaching a World Cup final. I hope Brazil can win the World Cup in 2030 and end this 28-year drought," Cafu told reporters.
He's excited about India playing the five-time world champions in a friendly at Kolkata on October 3 though and believes the match will bring many benefits to Indian football despite the massive gap in the FIFA rankings between the two teams (Brazil is at No. 5 while India is 138).
"If you go by the rankings, there is a significant difference between Brazil and India, but football has modernised. Today, everyone plays on equal terms. You saw this in the [recent] World Cup. Teams like Curacao and Cape Verde played on equal terms with the big teams. We hope Brazil and India can play a great game. It will bring many benefits to the Indian people and to the Indian national team, which will face a five-time world champion. Establishing this connection between these countries, now that FIFA has expanded the World Cup, opening up space for other countries, will be important for India as well," said Cafu, 56, who was full of energy and enjoyed every bit of his time, posing for selfies with students and signing footballs.
Asked how football can be developed and popularised in India, Cafu said: "Encourage children to play it more, advertise the sport and study the great footballing schools. Japan, South Korea, and China did this. They brought in Brazilian coaches and players and began to popularise football. This helped these countries grow. India can do the same."
