It would be unfair to talk about Brazil’s World Cup history without mentioning Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo, the only man to win the tournament four times (two as a player, one as a coach and another one as technical coordinator).
Against all odds, the ‘Old Wolf’ became a pivotal member of the Seleção’s World Cup-winning squads in 1958 and 1962.
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++ Most memorable moments of Zagallo as a player
++ Most memorable moments of Zagallo as Brazil head coach
++ Failures in Zagallo’s career: toughest moments for the Brazilian icon
Vicente Feola called him up for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden but didn’t view Formiguinha (Little Ant) as a starter until Pepe got injured. Zagallo made sure to prove his worth, eventually scoring a goal in the 5-2 win over the hosts in the final.
Four years later, Zagallo was once again called up to try and help the country retain its crown in Chile. With Pepe once again injured, the Botafogo legend played an instrumental role in Brazil’s successful title defense, starting in all of the Seleção’s matches on the left wing, just like in 1958. This time, his country overcame Pelé’s injury early in the tournament to make it all the way to the final, where it beat Czechoslovakia 3-1.
Zagallo documentary by Sambafoot
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the first episodes available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel. Stay tuned for upcoming releases as we keep telling this legend’s life story.
