The former Brazilian footballer and coach Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo, four-time world champion with Canarinha as a player, coach and coordinator of the national team, died at the age of 92, his adviser reported on Saturday. “With great sadness we announce the death of our eternal four-time world champion Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo,” said the former player’s social networks in a note, which did not report the causes of death.
Last year his health took a turn for the worse with a urinary tract infection that forced him to be hospitalized for nearly three weeks. In 2022 he was also admitted due to a respiratory infection. Zagallo, nicknamed ‘Old Wolf’, is an idol for generations, a world celebrity and one of the most important coaches and players in the history of Brazilian football.
He alone has four world titles in his record: two as a player (Sweden 1958 and Chile 1962), another as a coach (Mexico 1970) and the last one as the coordinator of Canarinha (United States 1994). Born on August 9, 1931 in the state of Alagoas, he acted as a striker during his time as a player, where he defended Flamengo and Botafogo, two of the great clubs in Brazil.
“A faithful father, a loving grandfather, a loving father-in-law, a loyal friend, a successful professional and a great man. A giant idol. A patriot who leaves us a legacy of great conquests, ” the obituary stated.
He won two World Cups (Sweden and Chile) with Pelé
With the Brazilian team he won the 1958 Sweden and 1962 World Cups in Chile with Edson Arantes do Nascimento ‘Pelé’, who died at the age of 82 on December 29, 2022, a victim of colon cancer. As a coach, he won with Mexico in 1970, with Pelé still on the field, and as technical coordinator of the United States 1994, which alone won four world titles in football history.
Also, he is the only one to reach five World Cup finals in his seven participations. They barely lost against the hosts in the 1998 World Cup final in France, the year in which he served as coach of a team with figures such as Ronaldo, Bebeto, Rivaldo, Dunga, Roberto Carlos, Cafú and Taffarel, besides others.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
