January 06, (THEWILL) – Mario Zagallo, who won the World Cup four times as a Player and Coach with Brazil, has died, aged 92.
Zagallo played as a winger in the Brazilian national team and won consecutive World Cups, first in 1958 and then four years later, in 1962.
Eight years later he took the helm of the National Team as Manager and with players such as Pele, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto, he won the 1970 World Cup. The achievement meant that Zagallo became the first person to win the World Cup as both a Player and a Manager.
In 1994, Zagallo was Carlo Alberto Parreira’s assistant coach for the World Cup, where Brazil won the tournament on penalties against Italy. Four years later he was the Manager once more but lost the final in Paris to France 3-0 in 1998.
“With enormous sadness, we inform you of the death of our eternal four-time world champion Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo,” a statement on his official Instagram account confirmed. Zagallo’s tactical expertise earned him the nicknames ‘The Professor’ and ‘Old Wolf’ and his 1970 Brazil team is regarded as one of the best in history.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
