Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo wrote history with the Brazilian national team in every possible role: as a player, as a manager and as a technical coordinator.
But if he had the opportunity to keep on contributing after hanging up his boots, it’s because he forged a great reputation during his time on the field.
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++ Most memorable moments of Zagallo as Brazil’s head coach
++ Failures in Zagallo’s career: toughest moments for the Brazilian icon
++ Why was Zagallo’s nickname Velho Lobo?
A talented but hard-working left winger, the Old Wolf shone for Flamengo before joining Rio rivals Botafogo, where he went on to spend the rest of his career, being a pivotal member of the club’s golden era next to other legends such as Garrincha, Nilton Santos and Didi.
But the most memorable moments in Zagallo’s playing career have to be his World Cup triumphs with Brazil.
💯 days, 💯 players | Mario Zagallo
The forward was a key component in the 🇧🇷️ Brazilian team that recorded their first two #WorldCup successes in 1958 and 1962, and later went on to coach the much-lauded side that triumphed in 1970. pic.twitter.com/fVkxL6qAvK
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 26, 2018
In 1958, Formiguinha (Little Ant) helped the country win its first ever World Cup in Sweden, where he earned a place in the starting eleven following Pepe’s injury. With a goal in the final against the hosts (5-2), Zagallo made sure to be remembered as a key contributor to that success.
Four years later, Velho Lobo started in all of the Seleção’s matches as the country went back-to-back and celebrated its second World Cup victory in Chile.
He continued to play until 1965 for the Lone Star, but the World Cup triumphs marked Zagallo’s legacy as a football player for the Brazilian national team. Years later, he would help his nation celebrate more World Cups but in different roles.
Documentary about Zagallo
On April 13th, Sambafoot’s Youtube channel launched the new documentary “Zagallo: Vocês vão ter que me engolir” (Zagallo: You’ll have to put up with me”).
The series tells the life story of Zagallo, from his early days with América – a popular club from Rio de Janeiro in the 1950s – until the 2006 World Cup debacle as an assistant coach.
The episodes include exclusive interviews with important figures that were by his side, including former players like Kaká, Cafú, Jairzinho, Pepe and Jorginho, and also journalists that covered his stories for decades. The documentary intends to expose everything, from his glory days, controversies and even the failures of this unique figure of Brazilian football history.
“Zagallo: Vocês vão ter que me engolir” is an original production by Sambafoot Series and was developed since November 2023. The project is directed by Patrick Saint Martin and produced by Geovanne Peçanha.
