Manuel Francisco dos Santos · Brazil
Photo : Public domain — El Gráfico n°2233 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brazil won the 1958 World Cup with Pelé and the 1962 World Cup with Garrincha, who took over when Pelé was injured in the second match and was named player of the tournament. Brazil never lost a match in which both men played — a run of thirty-six games.
He played almost entirely on the right wing and beat defenders with a feint everybody knew was coming. He had been born with a deformed spine and legs that curved in different directions, which doctors said would prevent him playing at all and which may be exactly what made him impossible to read.
His life after football was short and difficult. He died in 1983 at forty-nine, and the Estádio Nacional in Brasília is named after him. In Brazil he is remembered less as a great player than as a beloved one, which is a distinction the country takes seriously.
Club career
| Years | Club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Serrano | – | – |
| 1953–1965 | Botafogo | 238 | 84 |
| 1966 | Corinthians | 4 | |
| 1968 | Atlético Junior | 1 | |
| 1968–1969 | Flamengo | 5 | |
| 1970–1971 | Sacrofano | 12 | 6 |
| 1971–1972 | Olaria | 6 | |
| Total | 266 | 90 |
International career
| Years | Team | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955–1966 | Brazil | 50 | 12 |
Honours
Dashed = runner-up.
Related legends
Career figures compiled from public records. Competitive senior appearances only.