Brazil said goodbye to four-time world champion Mario Zagallo with a public wake. At the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, he was laid out next to the Selecao’s five World Cup trophies and a life-size wax figure of himself, as seen in local media. Zagallo’s family announced on Saturday night that he had died at the age of 92.
Zagallo was the first to become a world champion as both a player and a coach and was the only person to have won four world championships. He won the World Cup title in 1958 and 1962 alongside Pele, who died just over a year ago. In 1970, Zagallo led the “Selecao” to their third title win as national coach – again with Pele. When the team won the 1994 World Cup, “Velho Lobo” (German: “Old Wolf”) was there as an assistant coach.
Zagallo’s legacy cannot be expressed in numbers, said International Football Association (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino. “He will be remembered as the forefather of Brazilian football and will be sorely missed by everyone involved.” The World Cup story cannot be told without Zagallo.
“A great winner and a symbol of love for the Brazilian national team and for Brazil,” wrote President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the X platform (Twitter). “Courageous, committed, passionate and superstitious, Zagallo was an example of a Brazilian who never gave up.”