Carlos Alberto, captain of the Brazilian squad that won the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, has died after suffering a heart attack in Rio De Janeiro.
Followers of Brazilian football will fondly remember Alberto for the iconic fourth goal he scored against Italy in the final, still believed in some quarters to be the greatest in the tournament’s history.
The right-back won 53 caps for his country, scoring eight goals. He is lauded as one of the best defenders of all time.
He was named by Pele as one of the 100 greatest living players in 2004. He was also made a member of the World Team of the 20th Century, and is an inductee into the Brazilian Hall of Fame.
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An brilliant reader of the game, Alberto also possessed the outstanding ball control and dribbling ability that was a trademark of the great Brazilian side he captained.
Alberto spent most of his career in Brazil, for Santos, where he made 445 appearances over nine years, scoring 40 goals — an exceptionally good record for a defender.
He died aged 72.
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