Cafu became the first player to play in three FIFA World Cup finals.
The Brazilian right-back appeared in the finals of 1994, 1998 and 2002. He entered the 1994 final as a substitute against Italy, started the 1998 final against France, and captained Brazil in the 2002 final against Germany.
Brazil won the 1994 final on penalties and the 2002 final 2–0, while France won the 1998 final 3–0. Cafu therefore played in three consecutive World Cup finals across an eight-year span, a rare achievement in international football.
His 2002 appearance also made him the first player to appear in three successive World Cup finals. Cafu won 142 international caps for Brazil and remains widely associated with the national team’s successful era of the 1990s and early 2000s.