Vavá

Edvaldo Izidio Neto, better known as Vavá, was a Brazilian striker born on 12 November 1934. He is remembered as one of the finest forwards of his era, earning the nickname "Peito de Aço" (Steel Chest). His most prominent clubs were Vasco da Gama, Atlético Madrid, Palmeiras, and the Brazil national team.

Vavá began his club career at Sport Recife in 1949, staying there until 1950. He moved abroad for the first time to play for Atlético Madrid from 1958 to 1961, and ended his playing days with Portuguesa de Desportos in 1970.

For Brazil, Vavá earned twenty caps between 1955 and 1964, scoring fifteen goals. His debut came on 13 November 1955 in the Oswaldo Cruz Cup against Paraguay. He was part of the Brazilian squads that won the 1958 and 1962 World Cups, netting five goals in the first tournament and four in the second. In 1962, he shared the Golden Boot as one of the top scorers. He also represented Brazil at the 1952 Summer Olympics.

Vavá scored in both the 1958 final (twice) and the 1962 final (once), making him the first player to score in two World Cup finals. Only four other players have since matched that: Pelé, Paul Breitner, Zinedine Zidane, and Kylian Mbappé. Until Mbappé scored in consecutive finals in 2018 and 2022, Vavá was the only player to have done so.

Vavá died on 19 January 2002 at a clinic in Rio de Janeiro, aged 67.