* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈmaɾju zaˈɡalu]; 9 August 1931 – 5 January 2024) was a Brazilian professional football player and manager, who played as a forward.
Zagallo was regarded as one of the best football players of all time and was considered to be one of the greatest world's managers. Physically limited by his low stature, Zagallo began his career as a left midfielder and then moved also due to excessive competition in the role in the role of pure winger, characterized by his usefulness in defensive recoveries and in midfield as well as for his effective attacks on the offensive front. [1]
Zagalo in Botafogo.
He started his career in America (Rio de Janeiro) in 1948. In 1950 he moved to Flamengo . He was part of the "red and black" team that won three consecutive Campeonato Carioca titles (1953, 1954, 1955). In 1955, the team won the Rio-Sao Paulo Intercity Cup. Since there was no national championship at the time, Flamengo regularly participated in various friendly tournaments in addition to the city, and in Peru, Argentina and Israel. In total, in all tournaments, he played 217 matches, in which he scored 30 goals.
In 1958, Flamengo experienced financial problems and sold Zagallo against the player's wishes. Mario becomes part of Botafogo, as his wife is a teacher and will lose her job when moving to another city. Along with Garrincha, Didi and Nílton Santos, Zagallo became an important part of the team and won the Campeonato Carioca in 1961 and 1962, as well as the Rio-Sao Paulo Champions Cup in 1961 and the Rio-Sao Paulo Inter-City Tournament in 1962 and 1964.
International career
Mário Zagallo in 1962
Zagallo was called up to the Brazilian national team on the eve of the 1958 World Cup and was considered as a replacement for Pepe, who in those years was the best Brazilian football player in his position. However, just before the start of the tournament, Pepe was injured, and his place was taken by Zagallo, who played in all matches of the tournament (which became victorious for the Brazilians), and scored a goal against the Sweden national team in the final. Four years later, Mario helped his team defend the world title, playing in six matches and scoring one goal and two assists. In total, he played 33 matches for the national team and scored 5 goals.
Coaching career
Zagallo started his coaching career at Botafogo, the club he had finished his career with, managing them alongside the Brazil national team. Zagallo won the World Cup as a manager in 1970, and as assistant coach in 1994, both with Brazil. He was the first person to win the World Cup both as a player and as a manager.[3] Winning the World Cup in 1970 at the age of 38, he is also the second youngest coach to win a World Cup, after Alberto Suppici, who won aged 31 with Uruguay in 1930.
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