Brazilian player and manager Mario Lobo Zagallo, and the only person to win four FIFA World Cups, has died at the age of 92, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced in an official statement on social media.
The statement did not mention the causes of the legendary Lobo Zagallo. However, the four-time world champion had had some health problems last year, and was hospitalized in August for a urinary tract infection in Rio de Janeiro.
The only one with four World Cups
Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo, born in Atalaia, Brazil on August 9, 1931, is the only one in the history of world soccer to win four World Cups in his career: the first two as a player in Sweden 1958 and Chile 1962, the third as manager in Mexico 1970 and the fourth as assistant coach to Carlos Alberto Parreira in the United States 1994.
He also holds the record for most World Cup appearances in any role with 7, being Brazil’s coach in Germany 1974 and France 1998, where he finished fourth and runner-up respectively; and assistant coach again in Germany 2006.
Lobo Zagallo was also the first to win the World Cup as manager and player, being seconded by Franz Beckenbauer and Didier Deschamps. A young soldier Zagallo was even present at the ‘Maracanazo’ of Brazil 1950, being part of the security operation on the field.After Pelé’s death in 2022, Zagallo remained the last surviving member of Brazil’s 1958 World Cup-winning team.
In addition to his participations with the Brazil national team, Zagallo also had a good club career, playing for Flamengo and Botafogo, winning 5 Carioca championships between 1951 and 1965.As a coach he also managed multiple teams such as Botafogo and Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama, as well as other more exotic destinations such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates national teams.