Vavá

Brazilian striker who scored in two World Cup finals.

Edvaldo Izidio Neto, known as Vavá, was a Brazilian professional footballer. Nicknamed "Peito de Aço" (Steel Chest), he is regarded as one of the finest strikers of his era. He played for Vasco da Gama, Atlético Madrid, Palmeiras, and the Brazil national team.

Quick Facts

Full name: Edvaldo Izídio Neto
Born: 12 November 1934
Birthplace: Recife, Brazil
Died: 19 January 2002
Place of death: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Position: Striker
Total caps: 697
Total goals: 298

Facts from the source article.

Career

Vavá’s professional club career got underway with Sport Recife, where he played from 1949 to 1950. He later moved overseas for the first time, joining Atlético Madrid from 1958 to 1961, and wrapped up his playing days with Portuguesa de Desportos in 1970. On the international stage, he made his Brazil debut on 13 November 1955 in the Oswaldo Cruz Cup against Paraguay. He was a key member of the national side that won the World Cup in both 1958 and 1962, netting five goals in the first tournament and four in the second.

His four goals in 1962 earned him a share of the Golden Boot as one of the top scorers. Vavá also represented Brazil at the 1952 Summer Olympics. In World Cup finals, he scored twice in 1958 and once in 1962, making him the first player ever to score in two finals. Only four others—Pelé, Paul Breitner, Zinedine Zidane, and Kylian Mbappé—have matched that.

Until Mbappé scored in consecutive finals in 2018 and 2022, Vavá was the only player to have done so in back-to-back World Cup finals.