Brazil

In the 1974 World Cup, Zaire defender Mwepu Ilunga bolted from the wall and cleared the ball before Brazil's free kick, getting carded. Not ignorance: dictator Mobutu Sese Seko warned that losing by over 0-4 meant nobody returned alive. He stalled; Zaire held on 0-3.

The trophy FIFA World Cup winners lift is a gold-plated replica. FIFA keeps the genuine 18-karat gold original. After Brazil kept the Jules Rimet Trophy outright in 1970, it was stolen in 1983 and never recovered, likely melted for gold. FIFA has never handed over the current original.

In 1807, the Portugal royal family fled to Brazil to escape Napoleon. In 1815, Rio de Janeiro became the capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves—a rare case of a European nation having its capital on another continent.

Soccer player Carlos Kaiser of Brazil signed with multiple teams for over a decade from 1979 without playing a single match. He faked injuries, had journalists write false stories, and once started a fight with fans to get ejected — all to hide that he couldn't play.