Charles Miller - forefather of Brazilian football

Probably the best team in the world.

A year ago now, the finest football team in the world knocked England out of the World Cup on their way to a record fifth win since the tournament began. Ronaldo and Ronaldinho scored twice to take them through, as most people had expected.

Ask anyone who knows anything about football today which country produces the most talented footballers and the majority will answer Brazil.

Charles Miller (centre) with the Hampshire County team.

So it is amazing to think that only a little over a hundred years ago, football did not even exist in the country. And perhaps more extraordinary to think that the man who started it all over there learned how to play in Hampshire.

Charles Miller was born in Sao Paulo in 1874 of British parents. His father, a banker in the Brazilian city, decided that Charles would go to school in England. So at nine years of age, Charles packed his bags and made the long journey to Banister Court School in Southampton. It was here that he learned how to play the game of football.

Miller was a slightly-built lad, which earned him the nickname "Nipper"; but his size did nothing to stop him becoming a prolific centre forward.

Charles Miller's Hampshire Cup winner's medal from 1893

He played for the Hampshire county team against a certain local side who called themselves "Corinthians"... His fame spread and Saints invited him to play for their league side.

But Miller was always to return to Brazil, which he did in 1894. He took with him, in his luggage, two footballs. And with that, the country of Brazil began its journey to becoming one of the finest footballing nations in the world.

Charles Miller - a fine moustache for a fine man.

Miller gathered together teams from various British companies based in Sao Paulo and the game began to take hold. The first recorded football match took place on a piece of scrubland called the Chacara Dulley on June 19th, 1899. It was between Mackenzie College and the Sao Paulo Athletic Club, Miller's own team that he captained. No more than 60 spectators saw Miller's side come out 1-0 victors. But the seed had been sown.

Miller holds off a challenge in the first ever game in Brazil

Two years later in December of 1901 Brazil had its first football league. Five teams contested the Liga Paulista de Futebol, across 21 matches.

Charles Miller refereeing Brazil's Championship decider in 1949.

Miller's Sao Paulo Athletic Club tied with their great rivals Paulistano, and a play-off was arranged. On October 26th 1902, the first Brazilian league title went to SPAC, Miller's side coming out 2-1 victors. They went on to win the 1903 and 1904 leagues as well.

Charles Miller died in 1953 having seen Brazil host its first World Cup three years earlier. It would be 1958 before they would win the first of their five titles, but our man will have been content to see the extraordinary growth of the sport that he himself introduced just half a century earlier.

Definitely the best team in the world.