In the minds of those who watched them win the 1970 World Cup, Mário Zagallo’s Brazil still represents the fulfilment of all the seldom-kept promises of international football. The mere mention of their star players – Pelé, Jairzinho, Roberto Rivelino, Carlos Alberto – conjures images of suave magic under the Mexican sun. But there was one player, a little less celebrated, without whom their triumph would have been much harder to achieve.
Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade, known as Tostão, was a 23-year-old centre-forward who had appeared fleetingly in Brazil’s 1966 campaign in England while still a teenager. Four years later he arrived with Zagallo’s squad having just recovered from a serious operation on a detached retina.
Written by Richard Williams
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/jul/09/raheem-sterling-england-world-cup under the title “A toast to Raheem Sterling, the crucial cog who embodies a selfless England | Richard Williams”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
