Zico was the greatest player Flamengo ever produced and one of the finest attacking midfielders in the game’s history, often hailed as the White Pelé. A master of the dead ball and a supreme creator and scorer, he inspired Flamengo to their most glorious era, capped by continental and world club triumph.
He was the artistic heart of Brazil’s beloved 1982 side, whose flowing football is remembered as some of the most beautiful ever played, even though it fell short at the World Cup.
He later moved to Italy with Udinese and, towards the end of his career, helped popularise the game in Japan, becoming a founding icon of Japanese professional football.