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Date of birth: October 28, 1933
Place of birth: Pau Grande (RJ), Brazil
Date of death January 20, 1983 (aged 49)
Height: 1.69 m (5 ft 6 1/2 in)
Playing position: Winger
Garrincha was known for his close control and dribbling ability. He was born with a left leg that was six centimeters shorter than his right, despite or even because of that he turned out to be a great dribbler that would drive his opponents to desperation. He played most of his career at Botafogo in Brazil where he played 581 matches and scored 232 goals. He won the 1958 FIFA World Cup with Brazil together with the other talented player Pelé. When Pelé got injured at the 1962 FIFA World Cup, Garrincha almost single handedly won the World Cup with Brazil at a similar way Maradona did in 1986. In total Garrincha played 50 games for Brazil, at the 1966 FIFA World Cup he played his last against Hungary which was also his first and only lose with Brazil.
Career
| Club Record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps | Goals |
| 1953-1965 | Botafogo | 581 | 232 |
| 1966 | Corinthians | 10 | 2 |
| 1968 | Atlético Junior | 1 | 0 |
| 1968-1969 | Flamengo | 15 | 4 |
| 1972 | Olaria | 10 | 1 |
| Total | 617 | 239 | |
| National Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps | Goals |
| 1955–1966 | Brazil | 50 | 12 |
Honours
| Team Honours | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Trophy | Years | |
| Brazil | World Champion | 1958, 1962 | |
| Botafogo | Rio State Championship | 1957, 1961, 1962 | |
| Individual Honours | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Trophy | Years | ||
| World Cup Player of the Tournament-FIFA | 1962 | ||
| World Player of the Year-FIFA | 1962 | ||
Maradona earned a transfer to European top club FC Barcelona were he
would stay 2 seasons and score 38 goals in 58 matches.
His last match for Barcelona was in the final of the Copa del Rey in
1984 against Athletic Bilbao. Maradona had just been recovered from an
injury caused by a terrible tackle by one of Biblao's players.
In the final Maradona gets tackled again, this time he gets angry and
kicks a Bilbao player causing a fight to start. Barcelona losses the
match with 1-0 and Maradona leaves Camp Nou, signing a contract with
Napoli.
It is at Napoli where he will have the best period of his career,
winning Napoli's first Italian Championship in 1987 and repeating it in
1990. In 1989 Napoli wins the UEFA Cup by beating VfB Stuttgart in the
final with 2-1, Maradona scoring one of the goals.
However the most brilliant part of his career was at the 1986 FIFA World
Cup where he wins the tournament with Argentina. The most famous match
of the tournament being the quarterfinal against England (2-1). It is in
this match where Maradona scores twice, the first goal being a handball
of which he would later say it was "The hand of god". His second after
an amazing dribble in which he passes 5 England defenders and goalkeeper
Shilton.
Maradona would later say in one of his interviews "In that game no one
could have stopped me, not even Mike Tyson". Maradona continued to play
well that tournament by scoring two amazing goals against Belgium (2-0)
in the semifinals and winning the final against West Germany with 3-2.
Maradona had a great influence in the Argentinian victory by scoring 5
goals and making 5 assists. He won the Golden Ball for best player of
the tournament.
After the 1990 FIFA World Cup in which Argentina lost the final with 3-2
against West Germany, Maradona failed for a drugs test for cocaine and
was banned for 15 months. He left Napoli in 1992 to play for Sevilla. In
1993 he left Sevilla and went to Newell's Old Boys where he would play 5
matches. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup Maradona was back for a moment by
scoring a goal against Greece in the group stage. After that match
Maradona was sent home for failing a drug test.
