6 Talented Brazilian Players Who Made Headlines for All the Wrong Reasons

• Brazilian football players are mostly known for their talents on the pitch
• However, some of these players make headlines for the wrong reasons
• Dani Alves is among the latest Brazilian talents to be on the wrong side of news

When it comes to Brazilian football players, it is hard to describe football excellence without mentioning a Samba boy or two.

From Rivaldo to Ronaldo Nazario to modern legends like Neymar and Vinicius Junior, Brazil is blessed with natural football talent across different generations.

However, some of these players’ careers end up taking a turn for the worse as a result of their actions off the pitch, subsequently tarnishing their legacy.

A classic example is Dani Alves, the disgraced Barcelona star who was found guilty of assaulting a woman.

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Alves, according to Marca, is set to be released from prison on bail, with Neymar’s father reportedly having a hand in the release.

This will do little to salvage the 40-year-old’s reputation, however, as the ‘court of public opinion’ appears to have already made a judgement.

Sports Brief now takes a look at some other big Brazilian names who made headlines for the wrong reasons.

1. Ronaldinho

Arguably the most naturally gifted player on the list, Ronaldinho was caught up in a fake passport scandal in 2020, which saw him detailed in Paraguay alongside his older brother.

‘Gaucho’ spent 32 days behind bars before being released to a $380-a-night luxury hotel to serve his house arrest.

2. Antony

The Manchester United winger was the subject of battery allegations in 2023 in a scandal that saw him dropped from the Brazil national team.

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He denied all the allegations, according to BBC, and in September 2023, flew back to the UK to answer to police.

3. Robinho

The former Real Madrid and Manchester City star was a force on the pitch in his prime, and entertained fans with his swift stepovers and body feints.

In 2024, however, Robinho, 40, is facing a sentencing and was arrested in March for allegedly being part of a gang that assaulted an Albanian woman at a nightclub in Milan in 2013.

On March 20, he was arrested at his flat in his home city of Santos.

4. Adriano

Known to have one of the most powerful left-foot in the history of the sport, Adriano’s career took a sour turn after the 2004 passing of his father, who was his biggest cheerleader.

In 2010, Adriano, who was capped 40 times by the Brazilian national team, was charged with trafficking of substances after it was discovered that he bought a motorbike and gave it to a known drug dealer in Rio de Janeiro.

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5. Hulk

Hulk’s controversies mostly have to do with his love life.

The 37-year-old, who was previously married to Iran Angelo, left his wife and proceeded to start a romance with Iran’s niece Camila Angelo, with whom they have two children.

The Atletico Mineiro player, whose real name is Givanlido Vieira de Sousa announced he was marrying Camila, five months after divorcing the older iran.

The couple also have two children together.

6. Edmundo

He was once nicknamed “the most hated player in Brazil” for good reason.

Edmundo had a troublesome record off the pitch and seemed to live for controversy.

According to Bleacher Report, he was involved in a car crash in 1995 which claimed the lives of three people after his Jeep Cherokee crashed into a Fiat

Furthermore, he infamously courted trouble with animal welfare in Brazil after he hired a circus for his son’s birthday party.

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During this party, he was spotted feeding a chimpanzee beer and whisky, prompting animal welfare to threaten him with prosecution.

Details of Dani Alves’ bail

Sports Brief also reported on the details of Dani Alves’ bail after spending weeks behind bars.

The decision to release the Barcelona legend on bail follows a request from his lawyer, who argued that the 40-year-old had already served a quarter of his four-and-a-half-year sentence in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023.