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Brazilian fondness for sports in general is shown by the existence of some 8,000 sports clubs throughout the country. No other sport in Brazil can compare in popularity to soccer, where it is called "futebol". (There is no other football played in the country). This passion for the sport is reflected in the number and size of soccer stadiums all over the country. The Maracanä Stadium, built in Rio de Janeiro for the 1950 World Cup, is the second largest in the world with a capacity of 150,000. The Brazilian team was the first to win the World Cup four times in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 1994. There are five other stadiums in the country that can accommodate over 100,000 people each. Even people who are not particularly keen on soccer know the Brazilian player Pelé(Edson Arantes do Nascimento), internationally acclaimed the greatest soccer player of all time. During his 18-years career in Brazil, Pel?scored more than 1,200 goals. Upon retiring from professional soccer in Brazil, Pel?tried to popularise the sport in the W.S. where he played for a few years with the Cosmos Soccer Club in New York. Volleyball is a very popular sport for both men and women. A women's team won the World Cup in 1991 and a male team won the Gold Medal at the Olympics in 1992. Brazil is regarded as one of the major forces in basketball, twice winning the world men's championships as well as turning in impressive performances at many Olympic games. Tennis is also quite popular, although the last major international titles date back to 1959 and the early 1960's when Maria Ester Bueno won three Wimbledon championships. In 1987, a Brazilian team was classified in the First Division of the Davis Cup. Ever since the late 1960's, when Emerson Fittipaldi started accumulating victories in Formula One car racing, the sport has rapidly grown in popularity. A number of promising new drivers have come along. Among them are: Nelson Piquet, World Champion in 1981, 1983, and 1987; and Ayrton Senna, deceased May 1994, who won championships on the international racing circuits in 1988, 1990, and 1991. Brazilians have distinguished themselves in rowing, sailing, judo, and swimming in international competitions, with a few Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals to their credit. Always anxious to take advantage of their country's extensive coast and warm climate, Brazilians are increasingly taking up new sports activities such as surfing, windsurfing, and hang gliding. In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Brazil reached its paramount position in the history of the Olympics, having obtained a total of 15 medals, of which 3 were gold. [Top]