Mario Zagallo World Cup: Brazilian legend remembers his goal in the 1958 final v Sweden
'I have more medals than any Brazilian.. they'll put my statue up when I'm dead': World Cup legend Mario Zagallo won it twice as a player, coached the greatest team ever to victory in 1970
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MARIO Zagallo has made a habit out of winning the World Cup.
The Brazilian is best remembered for being the manager of the greatest team ever - Pele's glorious side who steamrollered their way to the World Cup in 1970.
But he is also won it twice as a player, including scoring in the 1958 final in the 5-2 victory over Sweden when all eyes were on the 17-year-old Pele.
The victory was sweet for Brazil, who had lost the 1950 final at home to Uruguay in one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.
The win was also the turning point for Brazilian football, as it started the nation's domination of the tournament and kick off their reputation for spectacular Samba football.
But it could have been so different, without an amazing act of sportsmanship by their Swedish hosts.
In an interview for the book Goal!, Zagallo said it had rained for two days solid before the final where Brazil faced Sweden.
Zagallo said: “The directors of the Swedish confederation knew we weren’t used to playing in the rain.
"The pitches played very differently if they were dry. So what did they do?
"It was raining Friday and Saturday, but on Sunday it improved.
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"Other countries could have used this to their advantage, but when it started to rain they covered the pitch with a waterproof canvas so the pitch would be dry on the day of the final.
"We were so grateful for this kindness. They really didn’t have to do it."
Zagallo, now 86, remembers the final clearly, 60 years on.
He said:“The night before the final was an anxious time.
"Even the guys who didn’t smoke were smoking. It was a time to get rid of our inner demons.
“Sweden played in yellow shirts, so we, the visitors, Brazil, could not play in yellow too.
I have more medals than any other Brazilian. They made a statue of me to put up in the Maracana. I don’t know where it is. I think they’ll put it up when I’m dead
Mario Zagallo
"We weren’t prepared for this. We had to have our badges sewn onto blue shirts for the match.
“The fourth goal was my goal. It was a corner kick, the defender headed it, the ball fell to Didi’s feet and he took it badly.
"The ball landed at my feet and I went over the defender.
"I was in front of the keeper. It went under him and into the left corner.
“At the end, the referee had the ball. He was holding the ball here, like this, under his arm.
Mario Zagallo's amazing World Cup story
1958 - WINNER as player, beating Sweden 5-2 in the final
1962 - WINNER as player, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final
1970 - WINNER as manager, beating Italy 4-1 in the final
1974 - Fourth place as manager, losing -1-0 to Poland in third place play-off
1994 - WINNER as assistant manager to Carlos Alberto Parreira, beating Italy on penalties in the final
1998 - Runner-up as manager, losing 3-0 to France in the final
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"Our manager Paulo Machado de Carvalho said he’d like to have the ball as a trophy.
"Mario Americo, our masseur, wasted no time. He went on to the pitch.
"The referee had the ball like this, under one arm, and he gave it a tap, got the ball and off he ran to the changing room.
"We were all there celebrating and the referee came in wanting the ball. So they gave him another ball. He got a ball, but the real ball stayed with Paulo Machado de Carvalho.
“I have more medals than any other Brazilian. They made a statue of me to put up in the Maracana.
"I don’t know where it is. I think they’ll put it up when I’m dead, which is no use to me. The important thing is that I’m still here."