Dani Alves has played for some of the world’s biggest clubs and has played over 100 times for Brazil during a storied career – and a game against Middlesbrough still stands out.
The 39-year-old defender is one of the most successful players of the modern era, having won a record 46 titles in senior football. He has played for Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo, as well as making 124 appearances for Brazil.
Alves will extend his remarkable legacy at the World Cup in Qatar after being named in Tite’s squad for the tournament. And the right-back, who now plays for UNAM in Mexico, says he owes his success, in part, to a formative win with Sevilla over Boro in the 2006 UEFA Cup final.
"Winning a European trophy was a great achievement for the club and me personally,” he told FourFourTwo magazine as part of their ‘Games That Changed My Life’ series. "Sevilla had been waiting for a major title for about six decades, and this was the perfect reward for excellent work from a talented squad.
"The final wasn’t as easy as the result suggests – we hit three late goals. The opener came in the first half after I crossed for Luis Fabiano to head in.
"I had a chance to score in the second half, but their keeper (Mark Schwarzer) saved well. That day brings great memories. Our team had brilliant harmony and we deserved to be champions."
Alves joined Sevilla from boyhood club Bahia in 2003 and went on to make 234 appearances for the Spanish club over the next five years. He won five major trophies with Sevilla – but the UEFA Cup was his first taste of success in European football.
As he recalls, Alves set up the opening goal for his compatriot Fabiano in the 27th minute, but Sevilla didn’t net again until 78 minutes. They ended up strolling to victory thanks to a Enzo Maresca double and another strike from Frederic Kanoute.
Boro reached the final under Steve McClaren’s management, with a team featuring Schwarzer, Mark Viduka, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ray Parlour, Yakubu, Stuart Downing and future England manager Gareth Southgate as captain.
Sixteen years on from that fateful night in Eindhoven and Alves is now looking forward to his fourth World Cup. Despite not playing with UNAM for a month due to an injury, he has been included in Tite’s 26-man squad and will compete with Juventus’ Danilo for the right-back spot.
“He adds technical and tactical aspects that are impressive, to be an organiser, an articulator,” Tite said of his selection. “Sure he is not a 60 to 70 metres player anymore, but he has other virtues. The criteria awards his technical quality, but mental and physical aspects too.”
