Legend Mario Zagallo passes away

Brazil's Mario Zagallo, the first man to win the World Cup as both a player and a coach, died on January 5 at the age of 92.

Zagallo's death was announced on his Instagram account, which has more than 225,000 followers. In the post, Zagallo's family described him as a lifelong world champion, a devoted father and a patriot who left a legacy of great achievements for the country.

Zagallo faced serious health problems in 2022, when he became critically ill with a respiratory infection. In August 2023, Zagallo was hospitalized again for a urinary tract infection and later returned home in a wheelchair. He lived for nearly half a year, before passing away due to old age.

Zagallo won the World Cup four times with Brazil, the Copa America once and the FIFA Confederations Cup once. Photo: Tiempos

Zagallo, as a striker, was instrumental in Brazil winning the 1958 and 1962 World Cups alongside Pele. He later coached the Samba team to their historic 1970 World Cup triumph. Zagallo was also assistant coach for Brazil's 1994 World Cup victory and coached the team at the 1998 World Cup, where Brazil lost 0-3 in the final to France.

In history, besides Zagallo, only two other people have won the World Cup as both a player and a coach: Germany's Franz Beckenbauer (1974, 1990) and France's Didier Deschamps (1998, 2018).

Born in 1931, Zagallo's childhood dream was to become a pilot. But he was unable to pursue this profession because of his poor eyesight. He switched to accounting and accidentally became a footballer after shining for a local team. "My father did not allow me to pursue a career in football," Zagallo once said during his lifetime. "Back then, it was not a respected profession. Society did not look kindly on footballers. So I came to football completely by chance."

Zagallo being carried by Brazilian players after a friendly match with South Korea in 2002. Photo: AFP

Zagallo was praised in part for his charisma and his willingness to criticise those who questioned his coaching style. His most famous image was when Brazil won the 1997 Copa America in Bolivia, despite not being the favourites. After helping his team win, he shouted into the television cameras: "You will have to continue to put up with me."

As a player, Zagallo was considered to be ahead of his time in Brazilian football tactics. As a coach, he won the 1970 World Cup with the team despite being appointed hastily before the tournament. To this day, many people still affirm that Zagallo is the father of the 4-2-3-1 formation that is popular in the contemporary football world.

Vy Anh

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