If a work of art requires beauty and harmony in its greatest expression, Garrincha’s legacy leaves no doubt: he was one of the geniuses of football-art. Bold, inventive, risky, provocative, the star marked the history of the sport with his dribbling, his goals and his leading role in winning two World Cups for Brazil: in 1958 and 1962.
Born in the interior of Rio de Janeiro on October 28, 1933, Garrincha would have turned 90 this Saturday. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the date could mark football’s anniversary, such is the character’s greatness and specificity.
Garrincha died in January 28th of 1983.
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Alongside Pelé, Garrincha appears to this day in manuals, research, compendiums and thousands of texts in the most diverse languages as one of the exponents of football. The perfect duo, by the way, never lost a game playing for the Brazilian National Team.
Manuel Francisco dos Santos was the greatest dribbler in football. His crooked legs, contrary to what one might assume, actually threw opponents off balance when he advanced with control of the ball.
With the national team, he also competed in the 1966 World Cup. He played for the Brazilian National Team for 10 years. He played 60 games and achieved an incredible record of 52 wins and seven draws. He only suffered one defeat. He scored 17 goals in total with the yellow shirt, five of them in World Cups.
The player had a wonderful career at Botafogo, where he played 614 times and scored 245 goals. He died prematurely at the age of 49 on January 20, 1983, a victim of liver cirrhosis.
Samba Gold 2023: Open voting!
Voting for the Samba Gold Award 2023 is now open. Choose your favorite in the men’s, women’s and under-20 categories!
