With Imperador & Cavalieri, Brazil beat Australia in 1999 U17 final

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·28 September 2026

With Imperador & Cavalieri, Brazil beat Australia in 1999 U17 final

With Adriano Imperador and Diego Cavalieri, Brazil defeated Australia in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Cup final Credits: Action Images/Andrew Budd

Almost 27 years ago, Brazil won the FIFA U-17 World Cup title against Australia, the opponent of the senior national team in this FIFA international window. After a goalless draw, Brazil beat the Australians 8-7 on penalties and lifted the trophy in the tournament held in New Zealand on November 27, 1999, in Auckland.

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For the Seleção, the competition ended against the same rival they had faced in their opener. In the first round, the team defeated Australia 2-1 in Christchurch, with goals from center-back Marquinhos Silva and right-back Carlinhos. Still in the group stage, Brazil drew 0-0 with Mali and Germany and advanced to the knockout stage as runners-up in Group C.

In the quarterfinals, Brazil beat Paraguay 4-1 in Dunedin — with a hat-trick from Léo Macaé and one goal from Cacá. In the semifinals, they overcame Ghana 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Léo Macaé and Tetteh (own goal) found the net in the match that secured Brazil’s place in the final.

With Adriano Imperador and Diego Cavalieri, Brazil defeated Australia in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Cup final Credits: Action Images/Andrew Budd

Standout names

The squad called up by coach Carlos César included players who would later stand out in Brazilian football. The main one was striker Adriano Imperador. He is an idol at Flamengo and Inter Milan and won the 2001 South American U-20 Championship, the 2004 Copa América, and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup with the Brazilian national team.

Having played for Palmeiras, Liverpool, Fluminense, and Botafogo, goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri was Brazil’s backup throughout the tournament. With the Seleção, he won the Superclásico de las Américas and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Former midfielder Andrezinho was also part of the winning squad. With Brazil, he won the 2001 South American U-20 Championship and the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. In Brazilian club football, he came through at Flamengo, played for Botafogo, Vasco, and Goiás, and at Internacional won the 2008 Copa Sudamericana, the 2010 Copa Libertadores, and the 2011 Recopa Sudamericana.

Brazil defeated Australia in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Cup final Credits: Action Images/Andrew Budd

Also in midfield, Léo Lima and Eduardo Costa were key players and appeared in every match. Lima won the 1999 South American U-17 Championship and the 2001 South American U-20 Championship. He played for major clubs in the country, such as Vasco, Santos, Grêmio, Flamengo, Palmeiras, and São Paulo. Costa, meanwhile, won the 1999 South American U-17 Championship, the 2001 Copa do Brasil with Grêmio, and the 2011 Copa do Brasil with Vasco. He also played for São Paulo.

Souza would later become popularly known as Caveirão during his career as a striker for major Brazilian clubs. At the World Cup, he also played in every match. Later, he wore the shirts of Vasco, Internacional, Goiás, Flamengo, Corinthians, Bahia, Vitória, Paysandu, Criciúma, and Madureira, where he began and ended his career.

In goal, Brazil had Rubinho, who came through at Corinthians, where he won the 2002 Rio-São Paulo Tournament and the 2002 Copa do Brasil. He built a long career in Italy, where he played for Hellas Verona, Genoa, Palermo, Como, Torino, Livorno, and especially Juventus. With the Vecchia Signora, he won four Serie A titles (2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16), two Italian Super Cups (2013 and 2015), and two Coppa Italia titles (2014–15 and 2015–16). He also won the 2001 South American U-20 Championship.