Brazilian legend Garrincha (Wikimedia)

It is an utter shame to not have Garrincha's name pronounced in the same breath as Pelé, Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, and Di Stefano by several experts. if you speak to make older journalists, they would say that Garrincha was better than any other player in world football.

Despite that, the Brazilian legend is respected for what he was able to do and became a symbol of an era for the game in that South American country.

His skill was unparalleled in every aspect. He was organized chaos, personified. His recklessness on the pitch complimented Pelé's technical perfection on the national team's attack. That duo became one of the most feared in world football. When coaches put both these two legends together on the pitch, Brazil never lost. They fed off each other the way two opposites never off of each other up to that point.

"Without Garrincha, I would have never been a three-time champion."-Pelé

One of the greatest masters of the ball at his feet, he brought the entire footballing world to its knees with his incredible pace, furious shot, and frenetic style which was part of the signature of Brazil's jogo bonito during the late 50's and in the early part of the 60's.

Unfortunately for him as well as fans all over, his style on the pitch was mild compared to his lifestyle off it.

Manuel Francisco Dos Santos was born on October 28, 1933 in Pau Grande in the state of Rio. From the start of his life he had to overcome several obstacles in order to play the game he loved.

At first site, Garrincha should have never been a footballer from a physical or mental standpoint. As a child he suffered for several pathologies. His feet were inverted 80 degrees and his right leg was two inches longer than his left. He also had scoliosis. These two conditions were exacerbated by a severe case of polio that left his legs in worse shape than before. The young Garrincha underwent several surgeries to rectify the problem but to no avail.


Prior to the 1958 World Cup, team doctor João de Carvalahaes mentioned that Garrincha was not fit to play football. According to de Carvalahaes he was "mentally weak and uncapable of playing in a group." Well, this was the doctor that also mentioned that most of the Brazilian team was malnourished and unable to take part in the World Cup.

In a way, for him at least, it would end up being a blessing in disguise as his leg movement drove defenders all over the planet crazy.
Manuel Francisco Dos Santos became Garrincha after one of his brothers compared him to the Amazonian bird that was "free, ugly, clumsy, but fast". This was part of the reason why Botafogo picked him up after seeing his antics with the factory team that he played for as a young man.

"Pelé was the best, but Garrincha was better. Pelé was a machine, but Garrincha was an artist. Garrincha was Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney, and a snake charmer all rolled into one." - Nilton Santos

He eventually made his debut at age 23 with Botafogo where his career went meteoric. He led O Glorioso to three Carioca titles and would reach his apex in 1962 as he became the best player in the world during the 1962 World Cup in Chile as he was selected hands down as the player of the tournament.

After being part of one of the most explosive offenses in football history, Garrincha carried the Canarinha as Brazil repeated as champs four years in the Andes. With Pelé injured, Garrincha along with Vavá and Mario Zagallo would defeat the host nation and a surprising Czech side en route to their second title. Until this day that Brazil team is the last one to have ever repeated as champs.

Although the 1962 team was not as dominant as its predecessor, they were still the top attraction from a football standpoint in a World Cup marred by violence and rough play.

After that Mané (as he was also called) saw his career diminish due to his battle with alcohol and other excessive . In 1964, he signed with Corinthians and then would play one match with Colombian side Junior in 1968 and eventually finish off his career with Olaria.

Off the pitch, he made headlines just as much as he did on it. He married legendary samba singer Elza Soares but between his alcohol addiction and extramarital affairs, his relationship ended. His personal and professional life were taking a downward spiral into oblivion.

After he divorced Soares, he married two more times. According to various articles he had 36 kids; nine of which he recognized as his own. Eventually he would die of cirrhosis of the liver in complete financial, emotional, mental, and physical ruin. Although he was in relative ruin, his funeral procession was among one of the most massive in the history of Brazil as millions fans of Botafogo and the Beautiful Game came out to pay their respects to their idol.

Garrincha's legacy lived on as he was a symbol of Brazilian flair both on and off the pitch. In 1974, there was a stadium built in Brasilia named after the former Botafogo star and he was named the greatest player to have ever played for his beloved club.

Brazilian society always had a soft spot for one of its greatest legends. In 2003, Milton Alencar directed Garrincha, Estrela Solitaria and was released to a great deal of mixed reviews but experienced a great deal of popularity in Brazil as well as in Latin America.

In 2004 he was named the 8th greatest player to ever walk the earth. Two years later he would be declared the 4th best South American player behind teammate Pelé, and Argentines Diego Maradona and Alfredo Di Stefano.

Next week... Diego Maradona's inspiration.

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