Mário Zagallo

Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo, born on 9 August 1931 in Atalaia, Alagoas, and died on 5 January 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, occupied a unique place in Brazilian football history. A left winger, he began his senior career at América of Rio de Janeiro before joining Flamengo in 1951. His most celebrated club period came with Botafogo, where he played from 1958 to 1965 alongside figures including Garrincha and Nílton Santos. He later represented Brazil at the 1958 and 1962 FIFA World Cups, winning both tournaments. His disciplined work on the left side gave Brazil balance through tireless defensive running. At the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, Zagallo appeared in every Brazilian match and scored in the final, a 5-2 victory over the hosts. In 1962, in Chile, he again featured throughout Brazil's successful title defense. He retired as a player after a short spell with Botafogo in 1965, then moved quickly into coaching. Zagallo managed Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama, but his international achievements made his reputation enduring. In 1970, aged thirty-eight, he coached Brazil to the World Cup in Mexico. The side beat Italy 4-1 in the final, with Carlos Alberto's famous late goal sealing victory. That triumph made Zagallo the first person to win the World Cup both as a player and as a head coach, a distinction later matched by Germany's Franz Beckenbauer and France's Didier Deschamps. His 1970 team was built around Pelé, Jairzinho, Tostão, Rivelino and Gérson, yet Zagallo adjusted its structure after inheriting João Saldanha's squad shortly before the tournament. He returned to lead Brazil at the 1974 World Cup, where the defending champions finished fourth. After working in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, he became Brazil's coordinator for the 1994 World Cup-winning campaign in the United States. Zagallo then returned as Brazil's head coach for the 1998 World Cup in France. Brazil reached the final, but lost 3-0 to the hosts after Ronaldo's pre-match illness became a lasting subject of scrutiny. In 2002, Zagallo served as an assistant to Luiz Felipe Scolari when Brazil won its fifth World Cup in Japan and South Korea. This made him the first member of four Brazilian World Cup-winning staffs, counting his playing titles in 1958 and 1962, his coaching title in 1970, and his assistant's role in 2002. Brazilian supporters associated him with thirteen; he considered it lucky throughout life.