A stunning report in Sao Paulo-based newspaper Estadao (in Portuguese) suggests the selection of the Brazilian national team has been influenced by commercial partners since 2006. With this in mind, players are reportedly chosen on "reputation and marketability," per Arash Hekmat of the Daily Mirror.
As noted by ESPN FC, the Brazilian football federation (CBF) is alleged to have agreed "a multimillion dollar secret contract" with marketing company International Sport Events. Hekmat suggests the firm is a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian company Dallah Al-Baraka, which is registered in the Cayman Islands.