Why is there no Alex de Souza?
You bring iconic players like Drogba Hagi, who plays for the rival team Galatasaray, but you do not bring Alex de Souza, who is better than them.
Alex made his senior international debut for Brazil on 23 September 1998 in a 1–1 friendly draw with FR Yugoslavia in São Luís, Maranhão, as an 82nd-minute substitute for Denílson in Brazil's first match since defeat in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first goal in his third appearance, opening a 3–0 win over Latvia in his hometown the following 26 June.
At the 1999 Copa América in Paraguay, Alex scored the decisive goal in a 2–1 group win over Mexico with a 25-yard strike.Brazil won the tournament under manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo, with Alex and Ronaldinho being young replacements for Edílson and Leonardo who were dropped for disciplinary reasons.Days later at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup in Mexico, he scored twice in a 4–0 opening win over Germany and twice again in an 8–2 semi-final rout of Saudi Arabia, though his team lost the final to the hosts.
Alex also went with the Brazilian Olympic team to the 2000 tournament in Australia, concluding a 3–1 opening win over Slovakia and scoring the only goal of a group win against Japan; quarter-final defeat to Cameroon led to Luxemburgo's resignation.At the 2001 Copa América in Colombia, Alex equalised in a 3–1 group win over Paraguay as the team were again eliminated in a quarter-final shock, this time to Honduras.In qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he scored once to open a 3–1 home win over rivals Argentina. He was not chosen for the final tournament, which Brazil won under manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, and confessed in his autobiography that he drank heavily to distract himself from the event, while his wife miscarried upon hearing that Ricardinho had been called up as a replacement for the injured Emerson and not her husband.
Alex scored an added-time equaliser at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup in France as Brazil drew 2–2 with Turkey in their final group game in Saint-Étienne, but were eliminated nonetheless. Brazil won the 2004 Copa América in Peru, in which captain Alex scored in a 4–0 quarter-final win against Mexico; he was then overlooked for the 2006 FIFA World Cup as well.
Honours
Palmeiras
Copa do Brasil: 1998
Copa Mercosur: 1998
Copa Libertadores: 1999
Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 2000
Copa dos Campeões: 2000
Flamengo
Campeonato Carioca: 2000
Taça Rio: 2000
Cruzeiro
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2003
Copa do Brasil: 2003
Campeonato Mineiro: 2003, 2004
Copa Sul-Minas: 2001, 2002
Fenerbahçe
Süper Lig: 2004–05,2006–07,2010–11
Turkish Cup: 2011–12
Turkish Super Cup: 2007, 2009
Coritiba
Campeonato Paranaense: 2013
Brazil
Copa América: 1999, 2004
Brazil U23
CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament: 2000
Brazil U20
South American Youth Championship: 1992, 1995
Individual
Campeonato Paranaense Revelation: 1995
Campeonato Paranaense Best Player: 1996
Campeonato Paranaense Best Midfielder: 1997
Copa Mercosur Best Player: 1998
IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer: 1999 (3rd place)
Troféu Telê Santana Best Midfielder: 2002
Troféu Telê Santana Star of the Year: 2003
Bola de Ouro: 2003
Bola de Prata: 2003
Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2004
Turkish Cup top scorer: 2004–05
Footballer of the year in Turkey: 2005,2010
Süper Lig Gol Kralı: 2006–07 (19 goals), 2010–11 (28 goals)
UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2007–08 (6 assists)
Turkish Cup Best Player: 2011–12
