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Why are Brazil so good?

Brazil. That single word has come to sum up the very best of football.

It stands for artistry, inspiration and genius, for the combination of sublime individual skill and collective fluidity to create a whole that is both beautiful to watch and devastatingly effective.

The country has produced 50 years' worth of great players - Garrincha, Pele, Jairzinho, Tostao, Socrates and Zico to name but a few.

They had a disappointing World Cup in 2006. But with outstanding individual talents such as Ronaldinho and Kaka orchestrating the team, expectations that they will produce more moments to live on in football legend remain as high as ever.

But how does Brazil produce so many great teams and wonderful players?

As the world's most exciting team prepare for their friendly with England on Friday, BBC Sport asks some of the biggest names in Brazil's football history what makes them so good.

The story of Brazil's domination of world football starts with the sport's uniquely important position in national life.

"The national football team," says its former coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, "is the symbol of national identity, the only time the nation gets together."

Brazilian football fans
Football is the most important thing in Brazilian national life
"Football in Brazil is like a religion," adds Carlos Alberto Torres, captain of the side that won the 1970 World Cup.

"Everybody talks about it all the time - not only when we are close to the World Cup.

"This is the difference between Europe and Brazil. After the World Cup, people in Europe start to think about life, business. Here in Brazil, we breathe football 24 hours a day."

According to Parreira, no-one is quite sure why.

"Sociologists, psychologists have tried to explain, but nobody can find one reason," he says.

"Maybe because we didn't have to fight for independence, we don't have earthquakes or things like that. We didn't go to war." Read Article in Full

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