Tostão

Lore & Background

Tostão was an intelligent, hardworking and prolific left-footed forward, known for his creativity and technical skills. He was considered one of the best players in the world in his prime and arguably the best player in the world in the early 70s alongside Cruyff before health problems forced his early retirement. He was widely considered at the time the second best or even the best Brazilian player in the late 60s alongside Pelé. He played most of his 11-year career with Cruzeiro. Tostão represented Brazil in two World Cups, winning the tournament in 1970, and formed a lethal offensive partnership with Pelé in the national team.

In Their Own Story

The stadium in Mexico City hummed with a heat that seemed to bend the light above the pitch. Tostão received the ball near the halfway line, turned his head once to read the defence, and then simply started walking. Not running — walking. The Czechoslovakian fullback closed the gap, and Tostão's left foot flicked the ball two inches to his right, just enough. The fullback stumbled. Another touch, another half-step, and the centre-back was already a memory. He carried the ball into the box like a man strolling through a garden, and when he finally looked up, the goalkeeper was still standing where he'd been ten seconds ago. The finish was soft, almost apologetic, the ball rolling under the keeper's outstretched fingers and into the net. The Brazilian end of the stadium erupted, but Tostão just shrugged, wiped his brow with his sleeve, and jogged back to the centre circle as if he had merely passed the ball to a teammate. Around him, Pelé was already shouting, Rivelino was dancing, and the cameras were swivelling. But Tostão's face held only a faint, private smile — the look of a man who had, for one brief moment, made the impossible look like the obvious.

Reader's Guide

Tostão made his professional debut aged 15 for América Mineiro, returning after two years to Cruzeiro. He was crowned the Campeonato Mineiro's top scorer on three consecutive occasions, the first in 1966, and left Cruzeiro as its all-time scorer with 249 goals. In the 1970 FIFA World Cup, improvised as a forward, he scored two of his 32 goals for Brazil and assisted four. In April 1972, he signed for Vasco da Gama for a then record fee but was forced to retire at 27 after sight problems resurfaced. He became a medical doctor and later worked as a journalist and pundit.

Did You Know?

• Tostão's nickname means 'little coin' in Brazilian Portuguese.
• He suffered a detached retina after being hit in the face by a ball in 1969.
• He scored 47 goals in one game as a six-year-old schoolboy, according to legend.
• He won the South American Footballer of the Year award in 1971.