Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

EXPLAINED: Denilson person | Vintage Vibes

'I was joining Barcelona, then Betis came in – only later did I realise it was a world-record fee' Cult Brazilian forward Denilson tells his remarkable story, via relegation in Seville, World Cup glory with Brazil and a car park snub at Bolton…

Denilson’s skill made him a hit with fans, earning him a £21.5m transfer to La Liga, but it didn't work out as planned

FourFourTwo

'I’d gone from sleeping in a room with 40 kids to sharing with just one team-mate, with a television and meals whenever I wanted. I knew I couldn’t waste the chance' World Cup winner Denilson recalls humble beginnings

Brazilian World Cup winner Denilson became the world's most expensive player in 1998 but was from the most ordinary of backgrounds

FourFourTwo

‘My match bonus was 10 times my salary. I gave the money to my dad. Those bonuses were more than he earned in a whole month’ World's most expensive player Denilson tells extraordinary rags-to-riches tale

Once the world's most expensive player, ex-Sao Paulo, Real Betis and Brazil star Denilson came from incredibly humble beginnings

FourFourTwo

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

‘I was given a locker and a parking spot after a trial at Bolton, but the next day they told me the manager had opted for another player instead. I still don’t fully know why it fell through’ Denilson on almost signing for Bolton

The Brazilian winger almost had a Premier League stint at the end of his career

FourFourTwo

‘The memory that never leaves me is the final whistle against Germany as we won the World Cup. I was running round with the Brazilian flag wrapped around me and looking to the sky’ Denilson opens up on his career highlight

The former Brazil winger was once the world’s most expensive player

FourFourTwo

‘Only later, when the press highlighted it, did I realise it was a world-record transfer fee. Honestly, I barely cared’ Denilson on what being the world’s most expensive player meant to him

The Brazilian moved from Sao Paulo to Real Betis for £21.5million in 1998

FourFourTwo

‘The dirt pitches of Brazil gave me the gift of ball control. You couldn’t trust the ground, so you had to improvise constantly. That chaos sharpened me technically’ How Denilson went from the streets to the world’s most expensive player

The Brazilian winger was the subject of a world record move in 1998

FourFourTwo

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

NEW ISSUE: Cole Palmer’s journey to cult status, James McAtee on his Forest switch, Denilson tells his story, javelin ace Rory Delap, Max Dowman and Rio Ngumoha scouted and Jari Litmanen takes your questions

Get your hands on the latest issue of FourFourTwo magazine – available in print or on your device – from Thursday October 16

FourFourTwo

‘Scoring in a World Cup is like winning the title – can you imagine millions of people celebrating something you did? It’s insane and made me very proud’: Brazil legend explains how much 2002 goal meant to him

Brazil stars regularly score at the World Cup, but for one player in particular in proved an especially proud moment in 2002

FourFourTwo

Best ever Brazil matches

From their five World Cup wins to some entertaining near misses and more, a look at Brazil's best ever matches...

People

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

Organisations

UEFA Champions League

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

Topics

Places

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.