The Brazil men's national volleyball team is governed by the Confederação Brasileira de Voleibol and takes part in international volleyball competitions. Brazil has three gold medals at the Olympic Games, won three times the World Championship and nine times the World League. Brazil is the #1 team on the FIVB World Rankings. The team is often referred to as volleyball's "Dream Team" due to its success under coach Bernardo Rezende.
Performance History
2000-until now
After the sixth place in the Sydney Olympic Games, the Brazilian men’s national team underwent some important changes ahead of the 2001 season. Mr. Bernardo Rezende, nicknamed Bernardinho, who had spent six years coaching the women's national team, was chosen to be the head coach of the Brazilian men's national team. In the first season with Bernardinho, the team conquered three gold medals and one silver medal. In 2002, Brazil finished second in the World League after losing the title at home in the match against Russia. But in that same season, they conquered the World Championship for the first time ever. The beginning of the 2003 season was very special for the World Champions. In an exciting final match against Serbia and Montenegro, Brazil won the World League gold medal for the third time, beating its opponent 3–2 in Madrid. After that, the team was defeated by Venezuela in the semifinal of the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo and ended up with the bronze in the competition. However, the Brazilian squad beat Venezuela by 3–0 in the South American Championship final only one month later. That year ended with Brazil conquering the last title it had not won yet: the World Cup, in Japan. In 2004, Bernardinho led the Brazilian team to a fourth title of the World League. In August, the Brazilian men's team won the second Olympic gold medal of its history, which happened in Athens in 2004. In the final, Brazil beat Italy 3–1. In the 2005 season, the Olympic Champion won four medals. In the final match against Serbia and Montenegro, Brazil won another gold medal in the World League, beating its opponent 3–1. After that, the team became second in the America's Cup, defeated by the United States in the final. Then in the South American Championship, Brazil conquered its 25th title, winning all matches and losing just one set. To end this great season, Bernardo Rezende’s team secured the gold medal in the World Grand Champions Cup in Japan. During the year 2006, the Brazilian team won a sixth title in the World League and a second title in the World Championship. This team was considered by many the best and most consistent men's volleyball team of all time.
Incidentally, the Maracana Stadium holds the all-time volleyball attendance record from when 95,000 turned out to watch Brazil beat the USSR in an open-air friendly game in 1983.
Lube Civitanova
Sada Cruzeiro