Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva led the tributes to Mario Lobo Zagallo, Brazilian soccer legend and only four-time soccer world champion, who died on Friday at the age of 92 and whose funeral will be held on Sunday.
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“Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo was one of the greatest soccer players and coaches of all time, a great winner and symbol of love for the Brazilian team and for Brazil,” Lula highlighted in a publication on the social network X.
“Brave, dedicated, passionate and superstitious, Zagalo was an example of a Brazilian who never gave up. It is this lesson and spirit of affection, love, dedication and improvement that he leaves for our entire country and for world football,” added the president. Brazilian.
Zagallo died on Friday at the age of 92, it was confirmed in a note published on his official Instagram account.
“With enormous sadness, we inform you of the death of our eternal four-time world champion Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo,” reads the brief statement about the idol's death.
“A dedicated father, loving grandfather, affectionate father-in-law, faithful friend, victorious professional and a great human being. Great idol. A patriot who leaves us a legacy of great achievements,” the note added.
The wake took place this Saturday from 09:30 local time (12:30 GMT) at the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in Rio de Janeiro, according to a statement published on Zagallo's Instagram account.
On Sunday, meanwhile, his remains will be buried in the Sao Joao Batista cemetery, in the Botafogo neighborhood of the 'Cidade Maravilhosa'.
Only four-time world champion
Born on August 9, 1931 in the city of Maceió (northeast), capital of the state of Alagoas, in a family of Lebanese and Italian origin, Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo debuted as a professional player in 1948 in the modest club America, in Rio de Janeiro. He then played eight seasons for Flamengo and seven for Botafogo.
Zagallo, the only person to win four soccer World Cups – two as a player, one as a coach and the rest as a technical assistant – was hospitalized in August in Rio de Janeiro for a urinary infection.
But the former 'Seleção' attacker had already had other recent health difficulties.
Following the death of 'King' Pelé in December 2022, Zagallo was hospitalized for almost two weeks with a respiratory infection.
As a left winger, the “Old Wolf” was part of the Brazilian team that won the World Cups in Sweden-1958 and Chile-1962 along with Pelé, the first two won by the 'Canarinha'.
He was also the coach of Brazil in the Mexico-1970 title and technical assistant in the victory in the United States-1994, and again technical director in France-1998 when the 'scratch' lost the final against the local team, led by Zinedine Zidane .
The only other two athletes to win the World Cup as a footballer and coach have been the German Franz Beckenbauer (1974 and 1990) and the French Didier Deschamps (1998 and 2018).
“Historical pillar of sport”
The president of the CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, decreed official mourning for 7 days for the death of Zagallo.
“The CBF and Brazilian football mourn the death of one of its greatest legends, Mario Zagallo. The CBF lends solidarity to his family and fans in this moment of regret for the departure of an idol of our football,” Rodrigues said in a note. .
The South American Football Confederation also mourned the death of the “soccer legend and only four-time champion” in a post shared on X, formerly Twitter.
This Friday, several Brazilian clubs began to pay tribute to the idol on their official social networks.
“He left us a hero who shaped the history of Brazilian football. Zagallo enters for eternity as a revolutionary, a historical pillar of the sport,” reads a note published by the Flamengo club of Rio de Janeiro.
“He made history in our football, as an athlete, coach and leader,” said Sao Paulo.
“Eternal Zagallo has 13 letters, Our King Pelé awaits you in the sacred kingdom,” Santos, the historic team of the 'king' of soccer, wrote in X, alluding to Zagallo's preference for that number.
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