Early Years
British
and Dutch sailors first football brought to Brazil.
They played games on the beaches of the North-eastern
coast.
Football arrived in the cities of Brazil in the 1870s. A
British man called Mr Hugh taught the game to the workers
on the São Paulo Railway in 1882. On the Leopoldina
Railway, a Mr John introduced soccer in 1875 or 1876.
Perhaps the most important man in Brazilian football's
early history was Charles Miller. 
Miller was
born in Brazil in 1874, but was educated in England.
When he returned to Brazil in 1894 he brought soccer
equipment with him.
First
Stadium
The first
official soccer match was played in São Paulo in 1894. It
was an immediate success. On the 18th August 1898 the first
official club team was formed by the Mackenzie College in
São Paulo.
Soccer soon became popular all over Brazil. In 1900 the
first soccer stadium was built in São Paulo. A year later
the São Paulo league was formed.
International
The first
Brazilian international match also was played in São
Paulo in 1907. It was a ‘derby’ between Brazil and
Argentina and ended 2-2.
During the early years of the century Brazil’s best player
was Petronillo de Brito. De Brito had exceptional ball
control, and a powerful shot. He was a very intelligent
player at a time when soccer was a much more physical game
than it is today.