This Saturday, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) mourned the death of Mário Zagallo, “a legendary figure of Brazilian and international football”, offering “its deepest condolences” to the family of the four-time world champion.
“Known with respect and affection by all, he was a legendary figure of Brazilian and international football. The FPF mourns the death of Mário Zagallo and offers its deepest condolences to his family and friends,” reads the federation’s official website.
The former Brazilian player and coach Mário Zagallo died this Friday at the age of 92, according to the official account of the four-time world champion on the social network Instagram.
In addition to being the first to win two World Cups as a player, in 1958 and 1962, and then as a coach, in 1970, Zagallo is the only one, until this Saturday, who has participated in five World Cup finals, of which he only lost one, against France, in 1998, as coach.
In 1994, in the United States, he was assistant to Carlos Alberto Parreira, in the fourth of the five world titles won by Brazil, but his ‘masterpiece’ was the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, where, newly appointed coach, he led Brazil to his third planetary coronation with spectacular football and stars like Pelé, Jairzinho, Tostão, Gerson and Rivellino.
This Saturday, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) decreed seven days of mourning in Brazilian football for the death of Mário Zagallo, whom it described as “the greatest world champion of all time” and “an idol of several generations.”
Source: TSF
