9 August 1931 - Mário Zagallo, A Born Champion

On 9 August 1931, future Brazilian legend Mário Zagallo was born in Maceió. He went on to become the first person to win the World Cup as a player and a manager.



Nicknamed "the Professor," he spent his entire club career in Brazil, first with Rio de Janeiro club America FC (1948-49), then with Flamengo (1950-58) and Botafogo (1958-65). Although small at 1.67 meters (5'5"), he was a skilled midfielder with an instinct for the attack and a willingness to race back on defense. He rose to international fame with Brazil in 1958 when he played every minute of their World Cup campaign and scored in their 5-2 victory over Sweden in the final. He repeated that performance in 1962 as Brazil lifted their second World Cup.



He retired as a player in 1965, but took up management one year later, starting with Botafogo. He briefly managed Brazil in 1967-68, then returned in 1970 in time for the World Cup. Although his style was criticized as too rigid and defensive, his Brazil squad won all six matches, including the final over Italy, to make Zagallo the first man in history to win the tournament as a player and a manager (to date, only Franz Beckenbauer has matched that accomplishment).



After taking Brazil to a fourth-place finish in 1974, Zagallo left the national team and began a coaching journey that took him across Brazil and the Middle East. He returned to the national team in 1994 as an assistant to Carlos Alberto Parreira and again Brazil took the trophy. He replaced Parreira in 1998 and guided Brazil to another World Cup Final, but lost to France.



He retired in 2001, but remains a constant presence around the Brazilian national team.

7 June 1962 - Yugoslavia Delivers The Knockout Punch

On 7 June 1962, Yugoslavia and Colombia met in the World Cup with a place in the knockout rounds at stake.

Playing on their group's last match day, the two teams were battling to join the USSR, who had won the group the previous day with a 2-1 win over Uruguay, in the quarterfinals. Yugoslavia, sitting on 2 points at the start of the day, could advance with a draw. Colombia, however, had only a single point and needed a win to take the group's second spot in the knockout rounds.

Although the stakes were equal for both teams, the day belonged to Yugoslavia. Striker Milan Galić opened the scoring in the 20th minute and was joined on the scoresheet five minutes later by his fellow striker, Dražan Jerković (both Galić and Jerković had been instrumental in Yugoslavia's run to the Final of the European Championship in 1960).

Colombia tightened up their defense and managed to keep the score 2-0 until the 61st minute, when Galić added another. Not to be outdone, Jerković scored a second goal in the 87th minute, with an intervening goal in the 82nd minute from midfielder Vojislav Melić.

The 5-0 scoreline sent Colombia home and catapulted Yugoslavia into the next round, where they advanced over Hungary 1-0 before falling to Czechoslovakia in the semifinals. It remains their best showing in a World Cup, matched only by their semifinal run in 1930.

17 June 1962 - Brazil Takes Two

On 17 June 1962, World Cup holders Brazil successfully defended their title, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the Final. After going down 0-1, the Brazilians scored three unanswered goals to become only the second country to win consecutive World Cups.

Played before a crowd of 68,679 at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile, the Final was a rematch of the two squads' previous group stage meeting, which ended as a scoreless draw. That match cost Brazil the services of Pelé, the hero of the previous tournament, due to injury. Although he was unable to play for the remainder of the Cup, Brazil won the group and reached the Final with knockout-round wins over England (3-1) and hosts Chile (4-2). The Czechs, meanwhile, finished second in the group and advanced by defeating Hungary (1-0) and Yugoslavia (3-1).

In the Final, just as they had in the 1958 Final, Brazil went down early, this time conceding a 15th-minute goal to Czech midfielder Josef Masopust. But Pelé's replacement Amarildo, who had scored both goals in Brazil's 2-1 final group stage win against Spain, brought his side level two minutes later. The teams ended the first half even at 1-1.

The champions took the lead in the second half with a 68th-minute header from midfielder Zito, then capitalized on a mistake by the Czech keeper Viliam Schrojf. In the 78th minute, Schrojf, who had played brilliantly throughout the tournament, allowed a high ball to slip through his hands and drop to the feet of Vavá. The forward tapped it into the net, becoming the first player in history to score in two World Cup Finals. It ended the scoring at 3-1 and gave Brazil the second of their five World Cup titles.

6 June 1962 - No Pelé, No Problem

On 6 June 1962, defending World Cup champions Brazil defeated Spain 2-1 in the final group stage match for both teams. The win secured Brazil's position at the top of the table and sent Spain to the bottom, eliminating them from the tournament.

Spain started the day in the group's third place, behind Brazil and Czechoslovakia, but ahead of Mexico, and a win would have guaranteed their advancement to the knockout rounds. They were encouraged by Pelé's absence from the Brazilian side, as he was injured in the previous match, and took advantage by going up 0-1 in the 35th minute.

They held onto the lead deep into the second half of the free-flowing attacking match, but were undone by Pelé's replacement, Amarildo (pictured, receiving a congratulatory kiss from Pelé). Amarildo scored a 72nd-minute equalizer, then headed in the match-winner in the 86th minute. They were two of the three goals he scored in the tournament - he scored the third in the Final to bring Brazil level with the Czechs.

Brazil went on to beat Czechoslovakia in the Final, 3-1, to claim their second consecutive Jules Rimet trophy.

25 April 1936 - A Born Fighter

On 25 April 1936, future Chilean international and record cap-holder Leonel Sánchez was born in Santiago.

A left winger, Sánchez began his professional career in 1953 with Universidad de Chile, where he would remain for seventeen years and win six league titles (1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969). In 1955, he made his first appearance for the Chilean national team in a 1-1 draw with Brazil. He would go on to earn a national record 84 caps between 1955 and 1968.

He was a key member of the team that finished third in the 1962 World Cup, scoring four goals to tie five other players as the tournament's top scorer. He scored two of those goals in Chile's opening match, a 3-1 group stage win over Switzerland.

Chile's next match, played on 2 June, was the infamous "Battle of Santiago" in which several fights broke out and two Italian players were sent off. One of the Italians ejected was Mario David, who was sent off for kicking Sánchez in the head. Sánchez had first punched David, but escaped punishment. Sánchez also broke the nose of Italy's Humberto Maschio with a punch, but somehow again avoided punishment as Chile won the match 2-0. They eventually lost to Brazil in the semi-finals, but finished in third place with a 1-0 win over Yugoslavia in the consolation match.

Sánchez left Universidad in 1969 over a contract dispute and played for three other Chilean teams before retiring in 1973.

20 January 1983 - This Bird Has Flown

On 20 January 1983, legendary Brazilian winger/forward Manuel Francisco dos Santos, better known as "Garrincha," died in a Rio hospital at the age of 49.

A two-time World Cup champion with Brazil, as well as the 1962 World Football Player of the Year, Garrincha (meaning "little bird") was an unlikely footballer, having been born with a deformed spine, a right leg that bent inwards, and a shorter left leg that curved outwards. By the time he was 18, however, he had developed the uncanny ball control and phenomenal dribbling ability that would establish him as one of the world's most dynamic players.

He spent the majority of his club career in Rio with Botafogo, making 581 league appearances from 1953 to 1965. He debuted for the first team on 19 July 1953 and promptly scored a hat-trick.

Garrincha earned his first cap for Brazil in 1955. He made 60 appearances total for the national side, with Brazil winning the first 59. That run included the 1958 and 1962 World Cups, Brazil's first two cup titles. After he scored two goals in Brazil's 3-1 win over England in the 1962 quarterfinals, the British press described him as "Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney, and a snake charmer all rolled into one."

Unfortunately, Garrincha's personal life was less successful, as he struggled with alcoholism, domestic problems, and financial mismanagement. He died from complications related to cirrhosis.

28 July 1962 - One League To Rule Them All

On 28 July 1962, the Bundesliga was created in the West German city of Dortmund. The Bundesliga is the top tier of the German football pyramid, with promotion from and relegation to the second tier, known as the 2d Bundesliga.

Football in Germany dates back to the 1870s, when it was introduced by English expatriates. The locals quickly took to the sport and, by 1900, had created so many clubs that the need for some administration was apparent. On 28 January 1900, representatives from 86 clubs met in Leipzig and founded the Deutscher Fußball-Bund ("DFB"). Although the DFB administered football across the nation, it was essentially a collection of regional leagues.

By the 1950s, German football's status began to drop, as many of Germany's best players left for other countries and the German national team struggled in international competitions. Critics blamed the decline on the DFB's league structure, which at that time consisted of five separate regional leagues known as the Oberligen, and issued calls for a national professional league.

On 28 July 1962, after the West German national team was eliminated from the World Cup by Yugoslavia, newly-elected DFB President Hermann Gösmann approved the creation of the new 19-team national league to begin play in the 1963-64 season. 46 clubs from the five Oberligen applied for the 19 available spots, but the five Oberligen champions for 1962-63 earned automatic inclusion, leaving 41 teams to compete for the final nine spots. The remaining teams were ultimately chosen based on a formula that assigned value to their league finishes and cup appearances.

The Bundesliga played its first season in 1963-64 as scheduled, with FC Köln claiming the first title.

7 July 1957 - And Sometimes A Bright Start Leads To A Bright Future

On 7 July 1957, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, made his national team debut for Brazil in a 2-1 loss to Argentina. The 16-year, 9-month old forward scored Brazil's only goal, becoming the youngest person to score in international competition at that time.

He had been a professional footballer for only one year, having signed with Santos FC in 1956 at the age of fifteen. He quickly established himself in the national team and was instrumental in Brazil's title-winning run in the 1958 World Cup. He scored six goals, including a hat-trick in Brazil's semi-final match against France and a brace against Sweden in the Final.

Pelé was a member of Brazil's squad for the 1962 World Cup, but was injured in the second game and missed the rest of the tournament, including the Final in which Brazil successfully defended their title. The 1966 World Cup was similarly frustrating for him, as Brazil's opponents resorted to violent tackles in order to stop him. He had to be carried off the pitch in the third match, a 3-1 defeat to Portugal, as Brazil were eliminated. After the tournament, he was so disheartened by the treatment he received that he said he would not play in any further World Cups.

He eventually reconsidered, however, and was persuaded to rejoin the national team for the 1970 World Cup, which was to be his last. Brazil was again triumphant, defeating Italy 4-1 in a memorable Final. With the win, Pelé became the only player in the history of football to win three World Cups.

He remains the Brazilian national team's top scorer, with 77 goals in 92 appearances.

28 June 2006 - Yugoslavia Yu-Goes Away

On 28 June 2006, the Football Association of Serbia and Montenegro (the FSSCG) split into two separate associations: the Football Association of Serbia (the FSS) and the Football Association of Montenegro (the the FSCG). The split eliminated the last football remnants of a unified Yugoslavia, as all of its former republics now had their own associations.

The Yugoslavian national football team had existed in various forms since 1920, when it represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Its most successful squad during that period was the 1930 team, which reached the World Cup semifinals.

After a hiatus from 1941 to 1945 due to World War II, the team re-emerged under the banner of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. They enjoyed a strong period in the 1960s, finishing in fourth place at the 1962 World Cup and reaching the Final in both the 1960 and 1968 UEFA European Championships. At that time, Yugoslavia comprised six regional republics - Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia - as well as two autonomous provinces - Kosovo and Vojvodina.

In 1991, Slovenia and Croatia declared their independence, triggering the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic. In 1992, Serbia and Montenegro established the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Despite finishing at the top of their qualifying group for the 1992 UEFA European Championship, the Federal Republic was banned from participating in the tournament due to the ongoing civil wars among the former Yugoslav states. FIFA also banned it from participating in the 1994 World Cup.

In 2003, the Federal Republic officially dropped the name "Yugoslavia" and changed its name to Serbia and Montenegro for both the state and the national team. Montenegro then declared its independence from Serbia in 2006, resulting in the split between the two football associations and ending the last political union between former Yugoslav republics. FIFA recognizes the Serbian side as the successor to Yugoslavia.

At present, Serbia is at the top of its qualifying group for the 2010 World Cup, while Montenegro is near the bottom of its group.

29 May 1963 - "... And A Child Shall Lead Them ..."

On 29 May 1963, center back Bobby Moore became England's youngest senior team captain at 22 years, 47 days.

Moore, who played for West Ham from 1958 to 1974, earned his first senior cap for England in May 1962 in a 4-0 friendly victory over Peru. He played a significant role for England in the 1962 World Cup, which ended in a quarterfinal defeat to eventual winners Brazil.

His appearance on 29 May 1963 was only his 12th for the national team. Long-serving captain Johnny Haynes had just retired and his immediate successor, Jimmy Armfield, was injured, leading new manager Alf Ramsey to hand the captain's armband to Moore. He rewarded Ramsey's faith by leading the team to a 4-2 win over Czechoslovakia.

Armfield reclaimed the captaincy upon his return, but Moore received it permanently in 1964. He led England to victory in the 1966 World Cup, which made him an English football icon. He made a total of 108 appearances for the national team, a record at the time that was later surpassed by goalkeeper Peter Shilton (125 caps) and David Beckham (109, as of the time of this writing).