Zagallo, the Greatest Winner of World Cups, Dies at 92
SÃO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) – Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo was superstitious: his intense relationship with the number 13 made him famous. He considered himself lucky, which he believed was a key factor in starting his journey to become the greatest champion of the FIFA World Cup in 1958.
The global sports icon died in the early hours of Saturday (6) at the age of 92. The information was confirmed in a statement posted on the social media accounts of the former player.
“It is with great sorrow that we inform the passing of our eternal four-time world champion Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo. A devoted father, loving grandfather, caring father-in-law, loyal friend, successful professional, and a great human being. A giant idol. A patriot who leaves us a legacy of great achievements. We thank God for the time we were able to spend with you and ask that we find comfort in the good memories and the great example you leave us,” the statement reads.
There is no information about the cause of death yet.
Zagallo won the FIFA World Cup, the premier international football tournament, four times: twice as a player (Sweden-1958 and Chile-1962), once as a coach (Mexico-1970), and once as an assistant coach (USA-1994).
Alongside him, only German Franz Beckenbauer (Germany-1974 and Italy-1990) and Frenchman Didier Deschamps (France-1998 and Russia-2018) have won the World Cup both as players and coaches.
As a player, Zagallo represented the Brazilian national team 37 times (with 30 victories, four draws, and three defeats) and scored four goals. As the coach for Brazil, he took charge of 154 matches (110 wins, 33 draws, 11 defeats, and the famous quote “You have to swallow me!”). These numbers are from FIFA.
In his club career spanning 35 years, Zagallo coached teams like Botafogo, Vasco, Fluminense, and Portuguesa, among others. He ended his coaching career in 2001 at Flamengo.
Zagallo was born in Maceió (AL), but his family moved to Rio de Janeiro where he was raised. His first club was América, of which he was a member. He represented the club in both football and table tennis, excelling in the latter.
In the early 1950s, Zagallo started playing for Flamengo, where his football skills flourished under the guidance of Paraguayan coach Fleitas Solich. With the team, he won the state championship three times (1953-1955). During that time, he juggled sports and studies, earning a degree in accounting.
In 1958, he was pre-selected for the World Cup in Sweden, although he had never represented the national team before that year. He faced tough competition from Pepe, a powerful striker, and Canhoteiro, an excellent dribbler.
For Zagallo, his innovative tactical style, which set him apart from traditional left wingers, worked as an advantage and secured him a spot on the team.
Unlike his positional colleagues, Zagallo dropped back to assist in defense when the team didn’t have possession of the ball. He saw himself as a marathon player, running and moving from the beginning to the end of the whistle.
This peculiar playing style, however, didn’t exempt him from being an underdog. So, he relied on circumstances to make it into the final 22.
He recalls that dental issues, “gum and tooth problems”, prevented both Pepe and Canhoteiro from playing against Paraguay at Maracanã Stadium in May, one month before the World Cup. “I got this great opportunity. I was selected, scored two goals, and we won 5-1. It was my lucky break.”
Zagallo convinced Vicente Feola, and the coach excluded Canhoteiro, who was going through an inconsistent phase and was considered a partygoer.
Zagallo mentioned luck as a factor in his first World Cup inclusion. Because to be among the starting eleven, luck favored him once again.
Pepe, in excellent form, fell victim to a violent play in a friendly match in Italy, just before the team traveled to Sweden, ruling him out for the initial stages of the tournament.
Wearing the number 7 jersey, Zagallo played every minute of all six matches in Sweden, including the final where Brazil defeated the hosts 5-2, with Zagallo scoring one goal.
As a world champion alongside Pelé, Garrincha, Didi, Gilmar, and company, Zagallo’s contract with Flamengo ended, and he received a lucrative offer from Palmeiras. However, he turned it down because his wife, Alcina, a civil servant, couldn’t be transferred to São Paulo. He then moved to Botafogo, which offered a higher salary than Flamengo.
Valued and still highly regarded in the national team, Zagallo once again started in the following World Cup. Pepe, once again, watched the tournament from the bench.
Zagallo’s Coaching Career and Legacy
In Chile, Zagallo scored the first goal for Aymoré Moreira’s Brazilian national team in their opening match, a 2-0 victory over Mexico. Similar to his time in Sweden, he played the full 90 minutes in all six matches, this time wearing the number 21 jersey, and ultimately secured back-to-back World Cup victories with a win in the final against Czechoslovakia (3-1).
Zagallo continued playing until 1965 when he retired from professional football. However, he decided to stay involved in the game and took on the role of coach for Botafogo, achieving immediate success with victories in the 1967 and 1968 State Championships, as well as the 1968 Taça Brasil.
THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT
In March 1970, Zagallo was chosen to replace the controversial and non-conforming João Saldanha as the head coach of the Brazilian national team for the upcoming World Cup in Mexico, less than three months away.
He had a team filled with talented players such as Pelé, Carlos Alberto, Tostão, Rivellino, Jairzinho,
Após a Copa de 2006, Zagallo led a less eventful life. He began playing bocce with some neighbors after retiring from tennis, one of his main hobbies.
Avoiding new technologies (“I have email, but I don’t use it. I’m just too lazy…”, he would say), he went to the cinema, theater, and restaurants quite often, accompanied by Alcina (whom he called Nininha, and who passed away in 2012), whom he married in 1955. They had four children together.
In fact, it was his partner who sparked his love for the number 13. His devotion to Saint Anthony, whose day is celebrated on June 13th, led to a fixation on that number.
Zagallo often carried a small medal of the saint in his pocket and aimed to form phrases with 13 letters, such as “Brazil champions”. He even lived on the 13th floor of a condominium in Barra da Tijuca, and the final digits of his cellphone number were 13.
However, he never wore the number 13 jersey as a player. He only wore it when he began his coaching career with the Botafogo youth team. He always believed that wearing that number helped him excel in his role as a coach.
On his 80th birthday, Zagallo was honored by Botafogo and Flamengo. He briefly returned to the spotlight and made sure to mention that he watched every match of the national team, which he affectionately referred to as the “Amarelinha” (little yellow one), and that he was “paying attention to everything”.
Deep down, he had the hope of returning to action. He hoped to be called by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to use his experience, star power, and charisma to help Brazil triumph in the 2014 World Cup. But it didn’t happen – this time, it wasn’t his luck or his destiny.