Leônidas
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (September 2013) |
Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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Full name | Leônidas da Silva | |||||||||||||
Date of birth | 6 September 1913 | |||||||||||||
Place of birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |||||||||||||
Date of death | 24 January 2004 | (aged 90)|||||||||||||
Place of death | Cotia, Brazil | |||||||||||||
Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1] | |||||||||||||
Position(s) |
Centre forward | |||||||||||||
Youth career | ||||||||||||||
1927–1929 | São Cristóvão | |||||||||||||
1929–1930 | Syrio e Libanez | |||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
1930 | Syrio e Libanez[2][3] | 5 | (5) | |||||||||||
1931–1932 | Bonsucesso[3][2][4] | 39 | (23) | |||||||||||
1933 | 16 | (11) | ||||||||||||
1934 | Vasco da Gama[3][2] | 4 | (1) | |||||||||||
1935–1936 | Botafogo[2][7] | 19 | (8) | |||||||||||
1936–1942 |
Flamengo[8] | 88 | (89) | |||||||||||
1943–1950 | São Paulo[9] | 120 | (93) | |||||||||||
Total | 291 | (230) | ||||||||||||
International career | ||||||||||||||
1932–1946 | Brazil | 19 | (21) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Leônidas da Silva (Portuguese pronunciation: [leˈõnidɐz dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; 6 September 1913 – 24 January 2004) was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. He is regarded as one of the most important players of the first half of the 20th century. At the height of his career, Leônidas da Silva was very popular amongst the people of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. Leônidas played for Brazil national team in the 1934 and 1938 World Cups, and was the top scorer of the latter tournament. He was known as the "Black Diamond" and the "Rubber Man" due to his agility.
Club career
Leônidas started his career at
Leônidas joined São Paulo in 1942 and stayed at the club until his retirement from playing in 1950.
The bicycle kick
Leônidas is one of several possible players credited for inventing the "Bicycle kick". The first time da Silva used this technique was on 24 April 1932, in a match between Bonsucesso and Carioca. In Flamengo he used this move only once, in 1939, against the Argentinian team Independiente. The unusual volley gained huge fame at the time, propelling it into the football mainstream.
For São Paulo, da Silva used the bicycle kick on two occasions: the first on 14 June 1942, in the defeat against Palestra Italia (currently
International career
Leônidas played 19 times for the Brazil national team between 1932 and 1946, scoring 21 goals in total, and scoring twice on his debut. In 1938, he was the World Cup's top scorer with 7 goals, scoring at least three times[note 1] in the 6–5 extra time win over Poland.
Nevertheless, his performance also made him be frequently fouled by the Poles. For the next match, against
The Niginho affair also prevented either of the players from playing in the semi-final. In their place,
1934 World Cup statistics
The scores contain links to the article on the 1934 FIFA World Cup and the round in question. The matches' numbers reflect the number of World Cup matches Leônidas played during his career.
Game no. | Round | Date | Opponent | Score | Leônidas' goals | Times | Leônidas' playing time | Notes | Venue | Report |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1st R. | 27 May 1934 | Spain | 1–3 (0–3) | 1 | 55' | 90 min. | Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa | 3/results/matches/match=1111/report.html [dead link] |
1938 World Cup statistics
The scores contain links to the article on the 1938 FIFA World Cup and the round in question. When there is a special article on the match in question, the link is in the column for round.
Game no. | Round | Date | Opponent | Score | Leônidas' goals | Times | Leônidas' playing time | Notes | Venue | Report |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 1st R. | 5 June 1938 | Poland | 6–5 a.e.t. (4–4) (3–1) |
3 | 18' 93' 104' | 120 min. | Stade de la Meinau, Strasbourg | 5/results/matches/match=1150/report.html[dead link] | |
3 | QF |
12 June 1938 | Czechoslovakia | 1–1 a.e.t. (1–1) (1–0) |
1 | 30' | 120 min. | Parc Lescure, Bordeaux | 5/results/matches/match=1152/report.html[dead link] | |
4 | Replay | 14 June 1938 | Czechoslovakia | 2–1 (0–1) | 1 | 57' | 90 min. | Parc Lescure, Bordeaux | 5/results/matches/match=1153/report.html[dead link] | |
– | SF | 16 June 1938 | Italy | 1–2 (0–0) | 0 | Did not play | Injured | Stade Vélodrome, Marseille | 5/results/matches/match=1149/report.html[dead link] | |
5 | 3rd pl. | 19 June 1938 | Sweden | 4–2 (1–2) | 2 | 63' 74' | 90 min. | Parc Lescure, Bordeaux | 5/results/matches/match=1151/report.html[dead link] |
Personal life
At the height of his career, Leônidas da Silva was very popular amongst the people of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. In the 1930s and 1940s, Leônidas was a celebrity against the backdrop of controversy and racial discrimination looming within Brazil during this time.[19] Leônidas had a major impact on and off the field because of his ability to relate to the working classes of Brazil, and his humble beginnings and racial representation led to this national popularity.[19] When his team won the Brazilian Club Championship in 1931, the people of Rio de Janeiro greeted Leônidas and his team in the streets of the city with cheerful crowds dancing and celebrating their victory.[19]
Historically, Leônidas is well known for his contributions to the relationship between consumerism and the business side of football within the country of Brazil.[20] In the year 1938, Leônidas especially gained massive popularity after his appearance in the World Cup tournament and it was around this time he started to receive numerous advertisement offers, such as for watches and cigarettes.[20] His willingness to participate in interviews and being a constant within the public eye helped his fans feel personally connected to Leônidas.[20] Later that same year, a voting popularity contest was held including Leônidas and he received 249,080 votes in his favor, thus winning the contest.[20]
During the 1938 World Cup, Leônidas was nicknamed Diamante Negro (black diamond). In the next year, Brazilian chocolate manufacturer Lacta purchased from him the right to name a chocolate bar as Diamante Negro.[21] This chocolate brand became a commercial success in Brazil.[22][23]
Leônidas joined São Paulo as manager the 1950s before leaving football to become a radio
Honours
Vasco da Gama
- Campeonato Carioca: 1934[26]
Botafogo
- Campeonato Carioca, 1935[26]
Flamengo
- Campeonato Carioca: 1939[26]
São Paulo
- Campeonato Paulista: 1943, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949[26]
Rio de Janeiro State Team
- Campeonato Brasileiro de Seleções Estaduais: 1931, 1938, 1940
São Paulo State Team
Brazil
- FIFA World Cup: third-place 1938[citation needed]
- Copa América runner-up: 1946
Individual
- FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1938[26]
- FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1938[27]
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1938
- IFFHS Brazilian Player of the 20th Century (8th place)[28]
Notes
- ^ Some sources claimed that da Silva scored only three goals in the victory over Poland instead of the often quoted four. According to Polish experts, Brazil's six goals were scored by: da Silva (18th, 93rd and 104th minutes), Romeu (25th minute) and Perácio (44th and 71st minute). This is now recognised by the RSSSF[13] and also FIFA itself.[14] In November 2006, FIFA also confirmed that he scored only once in the quarter-final replay against Czechoslovakia, not twice as FIFA had originally recorded.[15] This means he finished as the top goal scorer of the tournament with an official tally of 7 goals.[16]
References
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Leônidas da Silva (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Acervo histórico". Acervo O Globo (in Portuguese). O Globo.
- ^ a b c Campeonato Carioca 1930 - Il Turno BrFut (in Portuguese)
- ^ RSSSFBrasil
- ^ "Pedro y la herencia de los brasileños manyas" (in Spanish). LaRed21.
- ^ "De Leónidas Da Silva: El diamante negro" (in Spanish). fronterad.
- ^ Campeonato Carioca 1935 BrFut (in Portuguese)
- ^ Fla-Estatística (in Portuguese)
- ^ Michael Serra. (8 December 2017). Enciclopédia: Maiores artilheiros do São Paulo saopaulofc.net (in Portuguese)
- ^ Com Leônidas, na Copa de 38 Brasil chega em 3º lugar (in Portuguese)
- OCLC 1024085926.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ Leônidas da Silva FIFA Worldcup Golden Boot Winner. 1938 Bleacher Report
- ^ "World Cup 1938 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ match data at official FIFA World Cup site
- ^ Media release by FIFA, 16 November 2006
- ^ "World Cup 1938 finals". Archived from the original on 3 May 2006. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ GEHRINGER, Max (nov. 2005). Faltaram os papéis. Placar Especial "A Saga da Jules Rimet" n. 3 - 1938 França. São Paulo: Editora Abril, p. 37
- ^ GEHRINGER, Max (nov. 2005). Derrota amarga. Placar Especial "A Saga da Jules Rimet" n. 3 - 1938 França. São Paulo: Editora Abril, p. 38
- ^ ISSN 2238-3875.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8130-6255-6.
- ^ "Brazilian Brands: Diamante Negro - eatrio.net". eatrio.net. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ "Leonidas – the real inventor of the brilliance of Brazilian football". CricketSoccer. 14 January 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
- ^ Silva, Postado por Rômulo. "TOP 5 - Chocolates mais famosos no Brasil". Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ Brian Glanville (27 January 2004). "Leonidas da Silva". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20190923024337/http://globoesporte.globo.com/ESP/Noticia/Arquivo/0,,AA666289-4274,00-MORRE%2BLEONIDAS%2BDA%2BSILVA%2BAOS%2BANOS.html
- ^ a b c d e "Leonidas: Brazil's first superstar". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "World Cup Best Players (Golden Ball)". Topend Sports. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ "IFFHS' Century Elections". RSSSF. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
External links
- Web site dedicated to Leônidas – leonidasdasilva.com.br – Publikan, Brazil at the Wayback Machine (archived 2006-11-04)
- Leônidas at Sambafoot (archived)