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Garrincha

1933 to 1983

ALEGRIA DO POVO

Brazil's joyous winger and two-time World Cup champion whose dribbling felt like play.

Garrincha memorial photo
Garrincha archival photo
Garrincha archival photo

2

World Cups

1958, 1962

1962

WC star

After Pelé injury

Botafogo

Club home

Rio

Brazil

National joy

Seleção

Botafogo / Brazil

1953 to 1972

Biography

Manuel Francisco dos Santos, Garrincha, won World Cups with Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Botafogo's immortal, he remains football's purest expression of improvisation on the wing.

Born1933-10-28, Magé, Brazil
Died1983-01-20, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
NationalityBrazil
PositionWinger
Height5 ft 6 in (1.69 m)

Career statistics

Club / international

World Cups won2
ClubBotafogo
RoleWinger
StyleDribble joy

Career timeline

  1. 1958

    First World Cup

    Wins title with Brazil.

  2. 1962

    Second World Cup

    Stars as Brazil repeats.

  3. 1983

    Passed away

    Died January 20, 1983.

Achievements and awards

  • 2x FIFA World Cup Champion (1958, 1962)
  • Botafogo club icon

Legacy

Garrincha made the wing a carnival. Brazilian football still smiles when his name is spoken.

Career statistics

Club / international

World Cups won2
ClubBotafogo
RoleWinger
StyleDribble joy

Achievements and awards

  • 2x FIFA World Cup Champion (1958, 1962)
  • Botafogo club icon

Career timeline

  1. 1958

    First World Cup

    Wins title with Brazil.

  2. 1962

    Second World Cup

    Stars as Brazil repeats.

  3. 1983

    Passed away

    Died January 20, 1983.

Legacy

Garrincha made the wing a carnival. Brazilian football still smiles when his name is spoken.

Images

Separate photo slider. Wikimedia Commons licenses shown on each slide.

Garrincha. Garrincha na copa de 1962.jpg
1 / 4

License: Public domain. Source

Sources

Research record: .orchestrator/research/legends/garrincha.md. Career totals are widely published league or Hall of Fame figures and should be read with competition and era labels. Image credits appear under the Images tab. Video links open third-party YouTube pages.