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The Brazil side of 1970 was arguably the greatest side ever to take to the field. The World Cup winners from Mexico have gone down in history with names such as Pele, Rivelino and Jairzinho etched like jewels in football's collective memory. In the latest in a series, looks at what happened to the most beautiful team of them all since their glorious victory.

Uruguay were seen off 3-1 in the semi-final - the game in which Pele almost scored from the halfway line - to set up a final against Italy.  Brazil were simply irresistible in the final and brushed aside the talented and stubborn Italian's 4-1. Afterwards, Pele was carried from the pitch by his exultant team mates and the players morphed into legends.


(1) Felix  




(2) Carlos Alberto Torres  

The captain scored the fourth goal in the final, which has gone down in history as one of the finest team goals of all-time. He left Santos in 1974 to return to Fluminense and then Flamengo, before seeing out his career in the USA with the New York Cosmos.  

On retiring in 1982, Carlos Alberto became a coach and worked in Brazil, Mexico and Columbia before becoming the assistant for the Nigerian national team. In 2004 he became the international coach of Azerbaijan, but he resigned in 2005 after losing to Poland and assaulting the fourth official.   

He recently applied, unsuccessfully, for the Czech Republic national team vacancy and has now become an ambassador for the city of Moreno for the 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil. 

(3) Hercules Brito  

The tall centre back was a rock in defence for Brazil.  He had a fearsome reputation and a short fuse, but he kept his temper in check during the World Cup.   

Brito played for a whole host of Brazilian clubs before retiring in 1979 aged 40 with 45 international caps to his name. He then spent time coaching youngsters in Rio de Janeiro, but now lives the quiet life and spends many of his days fishing.

(4) Wilson Piazza  

Piazza played as a centre-back for his club side, Cruzeiro, but Mario Zagallo converted him into a left-back after Baldochi was injured. He also represented Brazil in the 1974 World Cup in Germany as well as playing over 500 games for Cruzeiro before retiring in 1979.  

As a businessman, he has owned petrol stations and even dabbled in local politics. He is currently a director of the players' union in Belo Horizonte. 

(5) Everaldo  

Everaldo was a substitute leading up to the World Cup finals but when trainer Mario Zagallo took exception to the off-field antics of Marco Antonio, he was given his chance. He spent most of his career at Gremio and won 26 caps for his country, suffering just one defeat in the famous gold shirt.   

Everaldo retired in 1974 and entered politics, but was sadly killed in a car crash near Santa Cruz do Sul in October 1974.


(6) Clodoaldo  

When Brazil were struggling against Uruguay in the semi-final, Clodoaldo swapped positions with Gerson and promptly scored the equaliser from Tostao's pass. He was also instrumental in starting off the move that led to Carlos Alberto’s poetic fourth goal in the final.     

The midfielder also played in the 1974 World Cup and made 53 appearances for his country, scoring three goals. He spent his entire career with Santos and retired from the game in 1978. He now owns an estate agent and is also a Santos director.  

(7) Gerson

Gerson was known as the "parrot" because he never stopped talking on the pitch.  In the final, he scored the goal that put Brazil in front after Italy had equalised Pele's opener. The hugely influential midfielder won 70 caps, scoring 14 goals. His career took him to Botafogo, Sao Paulo, Flamengo and Fluminense.  

He now works as a radio broadcaster and runs a charity institute called ‘Instituto Canhotinho de Ouro’ (golden left foot), which offers sporting, medical and educational facilities for Brazilian children. 


(8)  Tostao



(9) Rivelino



(10)  Pele 



(11)  Jairzinho

Jairzinho scored in every game of the 1970 finals (seven goals in total).  He appeared 81 times for his country, scoring 33 goals in the process and notched up over 400 games for Botafogo before (unusually for the time) moving to Europe with Marseille in 1975. 

He retired in 1982 to become a coach and agent and is widely credited with discovering Ronaldo. He also coached the Gabon national team, before being sacked in 2006. In 2008, Jairzinho was a candidate to become the mayor of Rio but he was unsuccessful.

Mathew Burt,


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