 |
Djalma SantosBrazilian footballer
Date of Birth: 27.02.1929
Country:  Brazil |
Content:
The Biography of Djalma Santos
Djalma Pereira Dias dos Santos, better known as Djalma Santos, was a Brazilian footballer who is considered one of the greatest defenders in the history of world football. He was born on February 27, 1929.
Early Career
Djalma Santos began his football career in his hometown of São Paulo, playing for the local team "Portuguesa." He started playing in the center but was later moved to the right flank. In 1959, he joined "Palmeiras" and played around 500 matches for the team, including league and major championship games. In 1968, Santos left "Palmeiras" and played for "Atlético Paranaense" for two years before retiring. Throughout his entire career, Djalma Santos never received a red card.
International Success
Djalma Santos became most famous for his performances at the international level. From 1959 to 1968, he played 98 matches for the Brazilian national team and represented his country in four World Cup tournaments. Santos made his debut for the national team in a match against Peru during the Panamerican Championship. The match ended in a draw with no goals scored.
In his first World Cup in 1954, Santos played in every match and even scored his first goal in a match against Hungary, although Brazil lost the game. In the 1958 World Cup, Santos only played in the final against Sweden, which Brazil won with a score of 5-2. His performance in this match was so impressive that he was included in the "All Star" team.
Santos also played in the 1962 World Cup, where he again did not miss a single match. In the final against Czechoslovakia, he effectively scored one of the goals by making a long and successful pass that distracted the Czech goalkeeper. Brazil won the match, and Santos played a crucial role in their victory.
Later Years and Death
In 1966, at the age of 37, Santos was once again selected for the Brazilian national team in the World Cup. However, his performance in this tournament was not as impressive, and he was excluded from the starting lineup after two matches, with Carlos Alberto taking his place.
On July 23, 2013, Djalma Santos passed away in a hospital in Uberaba. He had been hospitalized for more than three weeks due to pneumonia and hemodynamic instability, which led to a heart attack. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, one of Brazil's greatest footballers could not be saved.
