It is a sad day for the world of soccer, as Mario Zagallo left this world yesterday. The Brazilian is one of the biggest legends in their soccer history and is fondly remembered by them, though he is fairly unknown outside the country.
Tributes have started to flow in for the man credited with bringing much success to the Brazilian national soccer team and someone who has long attributed their huge achievements over the years, especially their World Cup victories.
How many World Cups did Mario Zagallo win?
Mario Zagallo is synonymous with the whole history of the Brazilian national team and shares a similar legacy to the great Pele, albeit in a much lesser capacity. He was the first player in soccer history to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager.
His long career with the Brazilian team started right from 1958, when Brazil won its first ever World Cup, to 2014, when it hosted the World Cup. Playing as a forward in both the World Cups in 1958 and 1962, where he shared the pitch with Pele, he won both the trophies as Brazil asserted their dominance in the soccer world.
In 1970, he would become the coach of the national team, which boasted much talent, like his former teammate Pele among many others. They won that World Cup as well, and he would become the first to win the prestigious trophy both as a player and then as a manager. He also coached the 1974 team that only managed to finish fourth.
Though Brazil won again in 1994, Zagallo was only an assistant coach, but will still be credited as the only one to win 4 World Cups altogether. Later, he would be part of the 1998 and 2006 World Cup squads as well. That is 4 out of 5 of the World Cups Brazil has won in their history, making Zagallo a crucial figure in their history.
Zagallo leaves soccer world with unmatched legacy
Mario Zagallo also had an exceptional coaching career in Brazil, further leaving his mark in their soccer history. He had very successful spells with 4 big Brazilian clubs, namely Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama, all as their manager. He won many big trophies as well with all of them. He also led Saudi side Al Hilal to a league title in 1979.
As a player as well, he played as a forward first with Rio’s America, and later with big clubs Flamengo and Botafogo, both which fought strongly with Santos in the 1960s, who boasted the legendary Pele.
Aside from Brazil, he also managed the United Arab Emirates to their first ever World Cup qualification in 1990. Due to his vast success, he was often nicknamed The Professor by his players. His vision and acumen in his philosophy, often made his teams unbeatable.
Passing away at the age of 92, Mario Zagallo will be fondly remembered by the whole world, especially the nation of Brazil. Without the soccer legend, there is no doubt Brazilian soccer would not be the same today.
