Brazilian UFC star Paulo Costa launches astonishing attack on the current national team

Paulo Costa has urged Brazil to 'bring the old times back' in a controversial post lambasting the current national team.

Brazil got their World Cup campaign off to the perfect start on Thursday evening, defeating Serbia thanks to two-second half goals from Richarlison, including one sensational bicycle kick effort.

However, Costa appeared displeased with something, launching into an astonishing attack on the Selecao, criticising them for all being 'feminists' who apologise for being 'straight' and 'white'.

This, despite, a large majority of the Brazil side supporting controversial right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro in his recent election loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

'Brazilian soccer team were respectable when they had drug dealers to make party’s officials,' he tweeted, somewhat incoherently.

'Shemale f***** like Ronald at 2006 or 2002,' he added. 'Now they all are feminists or apologise for being straight [and] white. They cannot win the World Cup, sorry. Bring old times back.'

Previously he had tweeted, asking people to stop quizzing him about the Brazilian national team as he is 'Mexican'.

Costa has a storied history of controversial tweets, with Costa having previously landed himself in hot water over a use of a racial slur on social media in the direction of former UFC fighter Mike Perry.

Costa's aligning with Bolsonaro during the Brazilian elections this year was in line with many of the Selecao players themselves.

Neymar at the end of September posted a TikTok in which he held up both hands to signify a two on each. This was in reference to the number '22', the code which voters used at the electronic ballot box to vote for Bolsonaro.

He appeared on the controversial figure's YouTube channel back in October, doubling down on his support for the then-candidate.

'What motivated me to express my opinion are the values that the President represents, they are the same as mine, those of my family,' he said.

'He defends the people, the children, the family… It's important to take a stand. I call on those who hesitate to do so. It's a right, it's important to express your values. I'm proud to do that.'

Lula accused Neymar of being scared of him and implied his support for Bolsonaro was over his tax debt.

He said: 'Neymar has the right to choose who he wants as president. I think he is afraid that if I win the election, I will know what Bolsonaro has forgiven him (about) his income tax debt.

'I think that's why he's afraid of me. It's obvious that Bolsonaro made a deal with (Neymar's) father. Now he has tax problems in Spain, this is a problem for the tax collection agency, not mine.'

Meanwhile, Thiago Silva and Dani Alves both declared their support for the far-right leader, with the latter referencing a Bolsonaro phrase: 'There is this slogan that I love,' Alves said. 'Brazil above everything, God above all.'

Former national team players, including Rivaldo and Gilberto Silva, were also prominent supporters of the far-right candidate, with both declaring their support for Bolsonaro publicly.

Rivaldo himself has been a long-time backer of the recently disposed president, tweeting back in 2018: 'Your vote will be choosing a president, not a father. We need him to solve the problems of our country, not to teach us values, this is something we have to learn at home and at school.'

Meanwhile, Ronaldinho is also known to have supported the 2022 candidate for re-election. The Barcelona legend was appointed tourism ambassador by Bolsonaro, with controversy also surrounding his release by Paraguayan prison, which was personally authorised by Bolsonaro himself.

The yellow shirt of the national team, used as a tool by Brazil's autocratic leaders of the late 1950s and early 1960s as a means of drumming up nationalist support, came also to be utilised by Bolsonaro himself with opponents still viewing it with a degree of caution following the extremely polarised election run-off.