BUENOS-AIRES, January 7. /TASS/. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced a nationwide three-day mourning to honor Brazil’s four-time FIFA World Cups winning football player and coach Mario Zagallo, a day after his death at age 92.
"He was one of the greatest football players and coaches of all time… Courageous, passionate... [he] leaves a lesson of love, dedication and the will to overcome for our country — and for world football," Silva stated on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account.
Brazilian professional football striker and coach, born on August 9, 1931, Mario Zagallo, is the only one today to win four FIFA World Cup titles in various occupations.
Nicknamed ‘Velho Lobo’ (the Old Wolf) Zagallo is the winner of the 1958 and 1962 FIFA World Cups playing as a forward for the Brazilian national team and the winner of the 1970 and 1994 FIFA World Cups in the capacity of the Brazilian team’s head coach and assistant coach respectively.