Mario Lobo Zagallo, one of the most important figures in the history of Brazilian football, died this morning at the age of 92. Zagallo had been in poor health for some time – in September of last year, he spent twenty days in the hospital due to a urinary tract infection, and before the New Year, he was hospitalized again due to the failure of several organs, according to Brazilian media.The Old Wolf, as the media called him for half a century, participated in seven World Cups in different roles, as a player, coach, assistant, and coordinator. He even attended one final as a soldier. It was in 1950 when Brazil experienced one of the biggest defeats in its history, that against Uruguay.Zagallo was a two-time winner of the World Cup as a player – in 1958 and 1962. In both cases, he was a member of the starting lineup. In Sweden, he formed the famous attacking five with Didi, Pele, Vava and Garrincha (according to many, the best in football history), while four years later in Chile, Amarildo took the place of the injured Pele.##NAJAVA_MECA_7781361##In the final against the Swedes, in a great 5-2 win, he scored the fourth goal. In the final of 62 against Czechoslovakia, he didn’t manage to score, but he was one of the best on the field.When he became the world champion in 1970 in Mexico as a coach, he was only 38 years old and became the first man with the ‘Golden Goddess’ as both a player and a coach. At the next championship in Germany, Seleção did not do well, they finished the competition at an early stage, after which the Old Wolf was fired.Zagallo won the fourth gold medal from the World Cup in 1994, when he was the coordinator and first advisor to Carlos Alberto Pereira. In France, four years later, he was the commander-in-chief again, leading that amazing team with Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Dunga, Bebeto and others, however, in the final, they were hindered by the host and the mysterious problem that Il Fenomeno had the night before the match against the French.He recorded his seventh participation in the biggest football show in Germany in 2006, again as a coordinator and adviser. It was also his last involvement in the national team.Mario Zagallo, the first person to win the World Cup as a player and a manager, has died aged 92. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/7zWqL7Plxw— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 6, 2024 As a player, he defended the colors of Flamengo and Botafogo. Later, he coached both clubs and numerous others – Vasco da Gama, Fluminense, Al Hilal…He will forever be remembered as a man who appeared at seven World Cups and was a finalist on five occasions. Not to forget what he saw from the field wearing a soldier’s uniform…It is also interesting that some experts claim that the best team of all time was the Brazilian one from 1958. Others, again, swear by the one from 1970, when Rivelino, Jairzinho and Tostao were added to Pele. The common denominator for both is Mario Lobo Zagallo.He played in one and led the other from the bench.
