Mário Zagallo

Mário Zagallo went down in history as the first man to win the FIFA World Cup as both a player and coach. A left-winger, he played on Brazil’s first two World Cup-winning teams in 1958 and 1962, and in 1970 coached the all-time great Brazilian side containing such notables as Pelé, Rivellino, Tostao, and Jairzinho to a 4-1 victory over Italy in the final. Zagallo added a fourth title in the USA in 1994 when he was assistant coach to Carlos Parreira.

Zagallo was born in a poor area in northeast Brazil, but the family moved to Rio de Janeiro before he was one and as a youngster started playing football. However, his first ambition was to be an airline pilot but his eyesight wasn’t good enough to fulfil that dream, so he studied to be an accountant instead. However, much against the wishes of his father, who did not see football as a proper profession, Zagallo played football part-time with the leading Rio club, America and, following a move to the crack side Flamengo, won three State Championships. A further two titles followed after a move to rivals Botafogo.

Zagallo retired from playing in 1965 and turned to coaching with several Brazilian club sides before replacing João Saldanha as Brazil national coach just before the 1970 World Cup. Following his success in Mexico, Zagallo led his country to the 1974 competition, but they only finished fourth. He then had spells coaching in the Middle-East with Kuwait (1976-78), Saudi Arabia (1982-84), and the United Arab Emirates (1988-89).

After stints with the national side in between his spells in the Middle East, Zagallo returned again to Brazil in 1994 and led them to the 1998 World Cup final where they lost 3-0 to France. In 121 matches as Brazil’s coach he enjoyed a win ratio in excess of 70%.

Known for the occasional outburst, one of Zagallo’s most famous was after Brazil had won the 1997 Copa America in Bolivia. Brazil were not fancied to win the trophy but, immediately after the final whistle, he screamed into a TV camera and said: “You’re going to have to put up with me!” That phrase is one still used by people all over Brazil these days to justify themselves being correct.