TEMPO.CO, Lisbon - Brazil's goalkeeper Julio Cesar has joined Benfica after an unhappy season and a disappointing World Cup.

The Portuguese champion, which recently sold first-choice goalkeeper Jan Oblak to Atletico Madrid, confirmed on their website that the 34-year-old had signed a two-year deal.

Cesar started last season at Queen's Park Rangers in the English championship, where he played no single game, before joining the MLS club Toronto FC on loan in February.

Despite his lack of top-level football, he was Brazil's first-choice goalkeeper at the World Cup which they hosted.

Although Cesar was the hero in the penalty shootout win over Chile in the second round, he was on the wrong end of seven goals as Brazil were humiliated 1-7 by Germany in the semi-final.

Raised in Brazilian club Flamengo, Cesar spent seven years in Inter Milan, winning five Serie A and one Champions League title and as one of Serie A's top goalkeepers.

At the international level, he played in the Brazil team which won the 2004 Copa America through a penalty shootout win over Argentina in the final, but then replaced by Dida for the 2006 World Cup.

He won back his place under Dunga and was also Brazil's first-choice goalkeeper in the 2010 World Cup, where they were defeated in the quarter-finals.

Antara | Jafar M Sidik