Deco

: This article is about the football player. You may be looking for Art Deco.

National Team

Never called to the 'Escrete' (Brazilian national team), Deco was mentioned several times in the media as an option for the Portuguese national team. In 2002, having completed six years of Portuguese residence, he received his Portuguese citizenship. After many months of public discussion which split Portuguese public opinion, and despite the opposition of a large number of FC Porto rivals' supporters, he was called up for the Portugal-Brazil friendly, played at the Estádio das Antas, on 29 March 2003. He played only eight minutes in his debut, but in that time he managed to score the free kick that stunned Brazil, leading to a 2-1 win for Portugal. This was Portugal's first win over Brazil since the {{Wc|1966}}. Since that game, he has been a regular in the national team, despite apparent criticism by players such as Luis Figo.

Related Topics:
Brazilian national team - Portuguese national team - 2002 - Estádio das Antas - 29 March - 2003 - Luis Figo

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