Fans say final goodbyes as legend Zagallo’s coffin arrives in Rio

Brazilian soccer legend Mario Zagallo passed away on Friday at the age of 92 due to multiple-organ failure. A longtime legend, Zagallo holds the record for World Cup titles with four total and World Cup finals, with six total. He was the first person to ever win the World Cup as both a player and a manager. He won two as a player for Brazil in 1958 and 1962, one as coach in 1970, and one as assistant coach in 1994. Many fans see him as the icon for the Brazilian national team.

Fans pay their respects to the late Zagallo

A funeral service was held on Sunday at the Brazilian soccer confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, where a banner reading “Zagallo eternal” was lain. Many fans came to pay their respects.

“I came here to say goodbye to him,” said one fan outside the headquarters. “Half of the winning mentality Brazil has is leaving with him.”

“Zagallo was the biggest that we had in our soccer,” said another fan. “There was no one else. Now, he’s eternal.”

A life-size statue of Zagallo was near his casket, which was unveiled in 2022, when the player was there to see it. In front of the casket were replicas of the five World Cup trophies Brazil has won. On Saturday, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of national mourning.