Saturday, January 4, 2025

Brazil 1958 World Cup with even better players

1958 World Cup Finals

50 Brazilian Greatest Players (350 Players)
Sao Paulo State, Rio de Janeiro
North/Northeastern Brazil, South/Southeastern Brazil
Brazilian-born players capped by other national teams
Afro-Brazlian Players
Brazil All-Time Team After Pele
Brazil All-Team Under Mari Zagallo


This is my alternative team for Brazil at the 1958 World Cup Finals. The team only has 22 members because it was the official number of players in 1958.

Background
In 1958, the World Cup was held in Sweden, and it was a tournament that would go down in history as a pivotal moment for Brazilian football. Led by the legendary coach Vicente Feola and a young prodigy named Pelé, Brazil embarked on a journey that would culminate in their first-ever World Cup victory.  

Brazil's adoption of the innovative 4-2-4 formation in the 1958 World Cup revolutionized their style of play, setting a new benchmark for Brazilian football. Under the guidance of coach Vicente Feola, the team fielded exceptional talents such as Gilmar in goal, and the groundbreaking fullbacks Nilton Santos and DJ Santos, who redefined the role with their skill and vision. Bellini and Orlando formed a defensive duo in the middle.  Didi's masterful performances on the field earned him recognition as one of the standout players of the tournament. The dynamic duo of Pelé and Garrincha, showcasing a promising partnership, proved to be unstoppable on the pitch, never tasting defeat when playing together until their retirement. The 1958 Brazil team's triumph not only marked a significant milestone in Brazilian football but also laid the foundation for the country's future dominance in the sport.

Vava, Pele and Didi
Why redo the team if it was so perfect?
So, if this team was so perfect, why would I have redone it? Because the 1958 World Cup Finals presented a compelling tournament marked by significant events that reshaped team compositions of several national teams. The absence of key players from the other teams due to various circumstances allowed rising stars like the 17-year-old Pele and Garrincha to shine for Brazil in Sweden.  In a multiverse, all other national teams might reinforce by other players who did not particpate in the real World Cup Finals.

Hungary, once celebrated for the Magical Magyars, encountered setbacks as players such as Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, and Zoltán Czibor found themselves in exile following the Hungarian Revolution and Soviet invasion, impacting their performance.  However, in an alternative reality, Hungary could have a team that featured Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, Zoltán Czibor, Gyula Grosics, József Bozsik, Nándor Hidegkuti or even László Kubala. 

Similarly, Argentina witnessed the loss of key players like Omar Sivori and Alfredo Di Stéfano, due to the oriundo policies implemented by Italy and Spain in the 1950s.  They could easily find themselves playing with Antonio Angelillo, Humberto Maschio, Amadeo Carrizo, Nestor Rossi, Omar Oreste Corbatta, and Ángel Labruna.  My alternative 1958 team for Argentina could be seen here.

Alfredo Di Stefano also had the flexibility to represent Spain. In Spain's lineup, he could have joined forces with Luis Suarez, Francisco Gento, László Kubala, Jesus Garay, and Antonio Ramallets. 
 
Meanwhile, what if Duncan Edwards, Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor and Eddie Colman survived the Munich Air Disaster?  They could have line up alongside Tom Finney, Bobby Charlton and Billy Wright.

The inclusion of these players in the World Cup Finals would have presented a captivating scenario that could have had a profound impact on the tournament. In light of these possibilities, the decision was made to strengthen Brazil.

Team
GK: Carlos Jose Castilho (Fluminense)
Carlos Jose Castilho went to 4 World Cup Finals: 1950, 1954, 1958 and 1962, but only played in 1954.  He had a reputation for being lucky, earning the nickname "Leiteira".  He played over 695 games for Fluminense. He was diatonic and he believed he was favored because he saw yellow balls as if they were red, though he had trouble at night with white balls.  He also decided to partially amputate a finger so that he did not need to rest for an injury.

GK: Gilmar (Corinthians)
Gilmar was the goalkeeper for WC 1958, 1962 and 1966 winning two titles. He had 104 caps. Also a member of Pele's Santos team of the 1960's. With Gilmar between the posts, Santos conquered almost every championship they competed in: they won five São Paulo State Championships (1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968), five National Championships (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965), two Libertadores Cups (1962 and 1963) and two Intercontinental Cups. 
Gilmar
RB: Djalma Santos (Portuguesa)
DJ Santos was considered the best right back in the football history. He is one of only three players to be included into three World Cup All Star team. He also went to the World Cup in 1966.  He started his career with Portuguesa. In 1959, he moved to Palmeiras. He played almost 500 games for the club, winning several league and cup titles. He played Atlético Paranaense for a short spell before retiring in 1970.

RB: De Sordi (São Paulo)
De Sordi earned 22 caps for the Brazil national football team. He was part of the 1958 FIFA World Cup winning squad with Pele, Garrincha and Didi.  He played in all matches except the Final against the host Sweden. During his club career he played for XV de Piracicaba-SP and São Paulo.  He played over 500 games for Sao Paulo between 1952 and 1965.

CB: Orlando Peçanha (Vasco Da Gama)
During his club career Orlando Peçanha played for Vasco da Gama (1955–1960), Boca Juniors (1960–1964) and Santos (1965–1967). With Boca Juniors, he was their captain at one point. He was part of the Brazilian team that won the 1958 FIFA World Cup, and also participated in the 1966 FIFA World Cup as the vice captain of the team. In total he earned 30 caps.

CB: Mauro Ramos (São Paulo)
Mauro Ramos was considered one of Brazil's greatest centerbacks.  He went to both 1954 and 1958 World Cup Finals without playing a game, but in the World Cup Finals of 1962, he lifted the World Cup trophy as Brazil's captain. He was capped 22 times.  For his club career, he played for Santos and Sao Paulo. At Santos, he was a part of Pele's great Santos team in the 1960's. 

CB: Bellini (Vasco Da Gama)
Bellini was Brazil's captain for the World Cup Finals in 1958. He was credited for starting the tradition of lifting the trophy high in the air, making the gesture winning symbol.  He won another World Cup in 1962 and participated also at 1966 FIFA World Cup as the team captain again.  He had 51 caps between 1957 and 1966. During his career he played for Vasco da Gama, São Paulo FC and Atlético Paranaense. 
Bellini and De Sordi
LB: Nilton Santos (Botafogo)
Nilton Santos had 75 caps.  He went to the World Cup Finals in 1950, but did not play a single game. He won the World Cup in 1958 and 1962 with Pele and Garrincha.  He is widely considered to be a pioneer in the offensive wingback position and was one of the greatest in his position. He spent his entire career with Botafogo during one of the club's greatest period.

LB/MF: Oreco (Corinthians)
Oreco began his career at the Santa Maria, where he played for a year. He then played for Internacional of Porto Alegre, for which he played for seven years and won five Rio de Janeiro championships in that period. He was also a Corinthians player for eight years.  He also played for Dallas Tornado, winning the NASL Cup. At the international level, he won the 1958 World Cup as Nilton Santos' backup.

DM/CB: Zózimo (Bangu)
Zozimo played for Brazil's São Cristóvão, Bangu, Flamengo, Portuguesa and Esportiva de Guarantinguetá, as well as Peru's Sport Boys in Callao and El Salvador's Club Deportivo Águila in San Miguel. He won one Rio de Janeiro State Championship in 1965 and was a two-time winner for the Brazilian team at the World Cup in 1958 and 1962. He was also part of Brazil's squad for the 1952 Summer Olympics.In his 19-year career he earned a reputation as one of Brazil's most highly skilled players.

DM: Zito (Santos)
With Brazil, Zito earned 52 caps between 1955 and 1966.  He was a big part of the team that won the World Cup in 1958, and 1962.  He played almost his entire career with Santos between 1952 and 1967.  He was the captain of the "Os Santásticos" team of the late 1950s and 1960s, playing alongside Pelé, Pepe and other Brazilian stars. He was known as a leader that a young Pele respected throughout his career. He was his mentor.
Zito
CM Dino Sani (São Paulo)
Sani started his career at local club Palmeiras, XV de Jaú, Comercial-SP and São Paulo FC,and played in the Argentine for Boca Juniors. He then played in Italy for Serie A club A.C. Milan, with whom he won one scudetto in the 1961–62 season, followed by the 1962–63 European Cup  For Brazil national team, Dino Sani participated at the South American Championship in 1957 and 1959.  He won the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. He made 15 appearances in total between 1957 and 1966.

CM: Didi (Botafogo)
Didi is considered one of the greatest players ever from Brazil.  He was capped 68 times for Brazil between 1952 to 1962. He was voted the best player in the 1958 World Cup Finals.  He was also on the 1954 and 1962 team.  He joined Real Madrid in the 1950's, but returned after less than a year because of a personal feud with Alfredo di Stefano. He also played with Garrincha at Botafogo, a team considered among the best ever club side in Brazil.
Didi

AM: Zizinho (São Paulo)
Zizinho was Pele's idol.  He was considered the greatest Brazilian player before the 1960's. He was the star of the ill-fated World Cup Finals in 1950 playing alongside Jair and Ademir.  It was one of Brazil's greatest attack line. He played for Flamengo, Bangu, São Paulo FC, Audax Italiano of Chile among others teams. With, Flamengo, he won state championships in 1942, 1943 and 1944.  With Brazil, he had 53 caps between 1942 and 1957.

RW: Julinho (Fiorentina)
During his career (1951–1967), Julinho played for Portuguesa, Fluminense and Palmeiras.  His greatest spell was with Fiorentina. He was nominated as the best player in the history of Fiorentina in 1996.  He was one of the greatest wingers in Serie A history.  He had 24 caps for Brazil.  He was one of the best player at the World Cup Finals in 1954.  He turned down a chance to play in the 1958 World Cup Finals in Sweden, giving the way for Garrincha to shine.

RW: Garrincha (Botafogo)
Garrincha is considered one of the greatest footballers and perhaps the greatest dribbler in history.  He inspired Brazil to win the World Cup in 1962, which widely considered the best individual effect in World Cup history.  He was the Player of the Tournament that year.  He also played in 1958 and 1966.  Brazil never lost a single match with Pele and Garrincha on their lineup. At the club level, he was a member of the great Botafogo's team in the 1960's.

Garrincha

FW: Evaristo (Barcelona)
Evaristo played for Madureira and Flamengo before moving to Barcelona in 1957, where he stayed until 1962. Then, in 1962, he left Barcelona for Real Madrid, where he played between the two European Cup winning teams.  He was capped by Brazil 14 times, scoring 8 goals. He also holds the record of most goals for the Brazilian national team in one single game, as he netted five times for the Seleção in a 9–0 win against Colombia in 1957.

LW: Canhoteiro (Sao Paulo)
Canhoteiro's name literally mean "the left-footed".  He also earned the nickname "the Garrincha of the Left".  He was known for hos dribbling skills.  For his club career, he played with Sao Paulo and was remembered for his battles with Pele's Santos in the 1960's.  He was not selected for the World Cup Finals in 1958, despite being the original starter of the team. 

LW: Mario Zagallo (Flamengo)
Mario Zagallo played 33 times for Brazil between 1958 and 1964. was involved in 4 of Brazil's 5 World Cup titles.  He won 1958 and 1962 edition as a player.  In 1970, he was their head coach.  And in 1994, he served as an assistant coach.  For his club career, he played for America, Flamengo and Botafago. He was a member of the great Botafago team of the 1960's that also featured Garrincha and Didi. He played for them between 1958 and 1965.
Mario Zagallo
ST: Vava (Vasco Da Gama)
Vava's nickname was "Peito de Aço" (Steel Chest). He played for Sport Club do Recife, C.R. Vasco da Gama, S.E. Palmeiras.  He was capped 20 times.  He won the World Cup in 1958 and 1962 World Cup Finals.  He won the co-winner of the Golden Shoe award in 1962.  He scored in the final of both 1958 (twice) and 1962 (once), thus becoming the first player to score in the final of two different world cups. 
ST: Mazzola "Jose Altafini" (Palmeiras)
He started his career with Palmeiras before joining AC Milan right after the WC Finals in 1958.  From 1958 to 1976, he scored 216 goals in Serie A making him the joint-fourth highest scorer in Serie A history.  He won the European Cup in 1963, scoring 14 goals, which was finally broken by Cristano Ronaldo in 2014. He made played for Brazil, using the name "Mazzola". In 1962, he played for Italy at the World Cup Finals.  He earned 6 caps for Italy scoring 5 goals.   

FW: Pele (Santos)
Pele is considered the greatest player ever in the history of the game.  He won his first World Cup in 1958 as a 17 years old.  He would win his second one in 1962, but he was injured throughout the tournament. In 1970, he won his third and final World Cup, with a team that was considered the greatest ever.  He played almost his entire career with Santos, one of the best club side in history.  He unretired to join New York Cosmos in 1976. 
Pele

Squad Explanation
-- This blog team was born out of a alternative World Cup game from the discussion forum Bigsoccer.com.  
-- The Brazil team of 1958 was truly legendary. I did not change too much since it was almost perfect. I also believe that a team cannot necessarily improve simply by adding new and superior players. True improvement requires factors like team chemistry, cohesion, and other intangible elements to truly enhance the team's overall performance and success.   
-- Vicente Feola brought many new ideas to team management. One of the most groundbreaking additions to the World Cup staff was the sports psychiatrist João Carvalhaes. He conducted mental tests to players for mental strengths and weaknesses. The selection of the hotel was chosen by team doctor, Hilton Gosling.  It was rumored that he even kept female staff from the hotel to keep distraction from the players.
-- The orignal squad showcased a formidable lineup capable of both solidifying the backline and igniting the front line with creativity and goals.  However, recognizing that this team was not Brazil's best, I made the decision to introduce four Brazilian superstars to the squad. Zizinho, Julinho, Canhoteiro and Evaristo were added while dropping three players from the original team: Joel, Dida, Pepe and Moacir.
Goalkeepers
-- Carlos Jose Castilho and Gilmar dominated that position in the late 1950's.  
-- Moacir Barbosa was blamed for the defeat in the 1950 World Cup Finals.  By 1958, he was 38 years old playing in Santa Cruz. Four years earlier, he was in contention for a place on the World Cup team, an injury sustained in 1953 however dashed his chances.  Following this setback, he was never summoned to represent the Seleção again.
-- There were two goalkeepers of note playing in the 1950's named Manga.  Manga (Agenor Gomes) who played in Santos with Pele was an uncapped player.  He played 400 matches for Santos.  Manga Haílton Corrêa de Arruda) a was playing with Sport Recife in 1958. In 1959. he moved to Botafogo, where he made a name in a team that also featured Garrincha.  Between 1965 and 1966, he had 12 caps for Brazil. 
-- Albertino, Ernâni, Edgar, Cabeção and Paulo Martorano were active goalkeepers in that era.  But Oberdan Cattani had retired by 1958. 
Defenders
-- The defensive side of Brazil in 1958 had often been overlooked.  Until the semi-final against France, they didn’t concede a goal.
-- Both Djalma and Nilton Santos were credited for revolutionizing the fullback position.  They were known for their dynamic runs down the flanks and pioneering the concept of overlap runs.  Before them, fullbacks were traditionally associated with a primarily defensive role.
Nilton and Djalma Santos 
-- Belini was the captain of the 1958 team.  Bellini is recognized for initiating the tradition of hoisting the trophy into the air in football. His initial intention was to provide photographers with a clearer view of the trophy. It became synonymous with triumph.  He played alongside Orlando in the middle.  Mauro Ramos did not play a minute in Sweden but became the captain of the 1962 World Cup winning team.
-- Édson dos Santos, Paulinho de Almeida,Olavo, Pequeno, Henrique and Wálder dos Santos were the other defenders available in 1958.  But Bauer had retired from football in 1957.
Midfielders/Wingers
-- At the onset of the tournament, Brazil faced the challenge of missing key players Pele and Garrincha for the initial two matches. Pele was sidelined due to an injury, while Garrincha faced repercussions for his flamboyant display in a friendly match preceding the World Cup Finals. Vicente Feola did not trust him. Despite the absence of these two stars, Brazil easily defeated Austria in the first match but found themselves in a stalemate against England. The turning point of Brazil's campaign came in the third match against the Soviet Union when Coach Vicente Feola reintroduced Garrincha and welcomed back Pele from his injury. From that moment on, history was made as Brazil triumphed over a formidable Soviet side, a Wales team captained by the talented John Charles, and a strong French team featuring Raymond Kopa and Just Fontaine. This series of victories culminated in a historic final showdown against host nation Sweden, where Brazil emerged victorious to claim their first-ever World Cup title in 1958.
-- In real-life scenarios, it would be unlikely that manager Vicente Feola would have replaced Garrincha with Julinho, considering that Joel was the starting right-winger at the beginning of the World Cup Finals. However, this was an "imaginary" team, where logic does not necessarily dictate decisions.  No one in 2025 is going to replace Garrincha with Julinho for the 1958 World Cup team.
-- In 1950's, most South American national teams did not select their foreign-based players.  However, Brazil asked Julinho to return to the national team for the WC Finals in 1958.  They even suggested that he would meet them in Europe after they arrived for the WC Finals.  However, Julinho did not want to take a spot of a regular player who played in the World Cup Qualifiers and the buildup.  He turned it down. Instead, Brazil met Fiorentina for a pre-tournament friendly match. It was an emotional match as Julinho faced his national team.  He wept during the game. Between 1956 and 1958, Julinho was probably the best right winger in the world.  He helped Fiorentina to their league title in 1956. In 1957, he participated in the club's 1957 European Cup Final, a 2–0 loss to Real Madrid.
Julinho
-- In 1958, Canhoteiro stood out as Brazil's premier left winger, earning the moniker "Garrincha of the left". Despite his exceptional talent, he was notably absent from the 1958 World Cup Finals squad. Vicente Feola deemed Canhoteiro to possess a less professional demeanor compared to Pepe and Mario Zagallo. Additionally, his profound fear of flying and an incident in a bar during Brazil's final preparations before the European journey worked against his selection. On the other hand, Pepe's ankle injury sustained against Inter Milan just before the World Cup Finals paved the way for Mario Zagallo to feature in all of Brazil's matches in Sweden.
-- Mario Zagallo, who made his national team debut on May 4th, 1958, against Paraguay, was positioned on the left in the attacking four during the World Cup Finals. He was also entrusted with defensive responsibilities and excelled in defense compared to Canhoteiro and Pepe. His defensive prowess allowed Nilton Santos to attack, making him a vital component of Brazil's successful strategy. Zagallo continued his legacy by starting in the 1962 World Cup team and later becoming a World Cup-winning manager in 1970. In contrast, Pepe and Canhoteiro never played in a World Cup Final and have largely faded from memory outside Brazil. Despite being the least famous of the trio in 1958, Zagallo remains a very famous player among younger fans.
-- From the perspective of May 1958, selecting Canhoteiro and Pepe over the relatively lesser-known Zagallo would have been the natural choice. Back then, Pepe likely stood as the second-best player for Santos after Pele in the 1950s. Nicknamed "Canhão da Vila" (The Vila Cannon), he was known for his powerful kick.  However, in 2025, Zagallo is considered a greater player than Pepe by the younger fans. Ultimately, I opted to exclude Pepe from the selection, not due to adopting the 2025 perspective, but because Pepe sustained an injury during the match against Inter Milan.
Forwards
-- Bela Guttman was appointed as the manager of São Paulo FC in 1957, where he brought the 34-year-old Zizinho to the club. With Zizinho as the linchpin of the team, São Paulo FC clinched the São Paulo State Championship title by narrowly defeating Pele's Santos. Guttman's adoption of the 4–2–4 formation in São Paulo became the foundation of Brazil's successful strategy in the 1958 World Cup Finals. Zizinho played 67 games and scored 27 goals during his two-season stint with the club, finishing as runner-up in 1958. He became an idol during his time at the club, prompting calls for his return to the national team.  In fact, his last cap was in 1957. So in the summer of 1958, Zizinho was more ready to play in Sweden.
Zizinho
-- Evaristo, who joined Barcelona in 1957, made his name in history by scoring in the inaugural official match at Camp Nou in September of that year.  Later, he also became the first player to register a hat-trick at the stadium.  In 1958, Barcelona won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup with him as a key player. For Brazil, he scored 8 goals in 14 matches between 1955 and 1957, including scoring 5 goals against Colombia in the 1957 South American Championship.  Despite his pivotal role for Brazil in 1957, Barcelona declined to release Evaristo for the World Cup Finals due to the Spanish Cup coinciding with the tournament. This decision sparked a dispute between him and the club, ultimately leading to Evaristo's transfer to Barcelona's rival, Real Madrid, in 1962.
-- Jose Altafini was known as Mazzola before he moved to play in Italy.
-- Emanuele Del Vecchio, Larry, etc were also great forwards of note in the1950's

Formation
The original lineup of Brazil in the Final against the 1958 team was probably perfect for this tournament.



Game 1 & 2
In real life, Pele was injured and Garrincha was dropped against Austria and England. In their positions, I would choose to field Zizinho and Julinho. Vicente Feola would probably field Mario Zagallo, but I would start Canhoteiro because he played with Zizinho in sao Paulo.  If Vicente Feola decided to keep Zizinho and Julinho on the lineup against the Soviet Union, the world would not see Pele and Garrincha playing together in any World Cup Finals as Pele was injured in 1962.  


The rest of the tournament
I don't believe this configuration was the ideal choice, but I wanted to experiment with a fantasy formation rather than opting for the best or most practical one. The original lineup used in the real World Cup Final might be the most effective. In my selection, I would place Pele upfront. Additionally, I would include Canhoteiro, even though Zagallo might bring more benefits due to his defensive capabilities, thus ensuring a more balanced team.


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