Legendary Brazilian footballer Mario Zagallo passes away at 92
Mario Zagallo, a legendary figure in Brazilian football who won four World Cups with the national team as a player, coach, and coordinator, has passed away at the age of 92.
A statement on Zagallo's social media account announced, "It is with deep sorrow that we report the passing of Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo, a four-time world champion."
Zagallo was the first individual to win the World Cup both as a player and as a coach. He played as a winger for the Brazilian National Team that won consecutive World Cups in Sweden in 1958 and in Chile in 1962, starting in the first eleven in both finals.
In the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, Zagallo led a team considered one of the best Brazilian National Teams of all time, featuring stars like Pele, Jairzinho, and Carlos Alberto, to championship glory as its coach.
Zagallo's most recent World Cup success came in 1994 in the United States, where he served as a coordinator on the staff of head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, leading Brazil to victory.
THE LAST SURVIVOR OF THE 1958 TEAM
Following Pele's death, Zagallo was the last surviving member of the team that won the 1958 World Cup final for Brazil.
Zagallo, who earned 33 caps for the national team, spent his entire playing career with Flamengo and Botafogo.
"HIS LEGACY CANNOT BE SUMMED UP IN NUMBERS"
Following Zagallo's death, FIFA President Gianni Infantino released a condolence message. Infantino said, "We have learned with great sadness of the passing of one of the great names whose impact on the FIFA World Cup is unparalleled. Zagallo won four FIFA World Cups, first as a player and then as a coach. However, his legacy cannot be summed up in numbers. Brazil turned to the 'Professor' as a calming, guiding, and tactical genius when needed. The story of the FIFA World Cup cannot be told without Zagallo."
