Relive Zico's great games at Flamengo
Number 10 experienced memorable moments at Gávea. One of them was the 81 Libertadores final.
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
A great idol lives on great memories. Of brilliant plays, pinpoint passes, stunning goals, and, of course, titles. Zico has all of these in abundance on his resume. That's why the team at Flamengo's official website has compiled a list of the Galinho's unforgettable matches wearing the Sacred Mantle.
From the friendly match he played alongside Pelé in 1979 to his farewell in 1990, including Brazilian titles, the Libertadores Cup, the 1981 World Cup, the famous 6-0 victory over Botafogo, and much more, it's worth remembering the feats that established Arthur Antunes Coimbra as the greatest player in the history of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo.
A meeting for history April 6, 1979, remains vivid in the memories of Flamengo fans who attended the friendly match between the Red-Blacks and the Galo Mineiro at the Maracanã Stadium. Around 140 fans gathered at the Maracanã stadium to watch the acclaimed King of Football, Pelé, play alongside the King of Gávea, Zico. It was a historic night, with the star striker Júlio César, who had shared a room with Pelé the previous night, standing out.
Already 39 years old, Pelé had a strong performance, despite not scoring any goals. He played a one-two with Zico, reminiscent of his great partnership with Coutinho at Santos. The proceeds from the match, which reached CR$8.781.290,00, were donated to flood victims in Minas Gerais.
Brazil is red and black Flamengo was missing the Brazilian Championship title. In nine years of national championship, Flamengo had consistently had poor campaigns. This led to the team being known, especially in São Paulo, as "a Maracanã team." Despite this, no other Brazilian club had played as much for the country as Flamengo, which defeated even the most powerful of them all: Pelé's Santos. With the arrival of Nunes to replace Cláudio Adão, the team steamrolled its opponents until reaching the final, a home-and-away match against Atlético Mineiro, led by Reinaldo, Toninho Cerezo, and Éder. And Mengão prevailed, with a Zico show, in that 1980 Brazilian Championship.
Botafogo, we like you-6 - Revenge for Botafogo's 6-0 thrashing of Flamengo in 1972 would come nine years later. With an added irony: on the other side was Jairzinho, one of those responsible for the 1972 humiliation, on Flamengo's birthday. No sooner had Flamengo taken the lead than in the sixth minute, than the red-and-blacks erupted in a chorus: "We want six, we want six, we want six." And with a brace from Zico, the golden team from Gávea managed to avenge that 1 thrashing.
The victory of football art - Flamengo's first major international triumph came on November 23, 1981. The Copa Libertadores da América was hosted by Gávea. After going undefeated through the first round, quarterfinals, and semifinals, Flamengo, the 1980 Brazilian champion, reached the 1981 Copa Libertadores final against Chile's Cobreloa.
In the first match, held at Maracanã Stadium, the home team made the most of their home advantage and won 2-1, with two goals from Zico. However, in the return leg, Zico and company were outplayed and lost 1-0. A third match was then scheduled to decide the champion. It took place on November 23rd at Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Led, once again, by Zico, the competition's top scorer with 11 goals, Flamengo imposed its rhythm of play and proved to be a much better team by beating its opponent by an indisputable score of 2-0, with two goals from Galinho.
The world surrenders to Galinho - The greatest match in Flamengo's history. The game of a lifetime for all Flamengo fans. This was Flamengo vs. Liverpool, on December 13, 1981. Champions of the Copa Libertadores da América, beating Cobreloa in the final, the Brazilian team took to the field to eliminate the stigma that they weren't just a "Maracanã team," given that their major titles up to that point had been won at the "Biggest Stadium in the World."
The 62.000 fans who attended Tokyo's National Stadium, many of them Flamengo fans, saw a show by Flamengo, who wore their white jerseys in the final. They saw a show by Zico, inspired by the game. They saw a show by Brazilian football. A show that secured the title for Flamengo in the first half, with an indisputable 3-0 victory that put an end to any doubts about who was the best. Not just in that match, but the best in the world. And it was Flamengo.
Seer and ace The following year, after conquering the Americas and the world, Flamengo entered the Brazilian Championship as the heavy favorite. And it couldn't have been any different. With stars like Zico, Andrade, Adílio, Leandro, and others, Flamengo was the top team of the moment, and they proved it on the field with a stellar run in the Brasileirão's first phase. They lost only two of 2 matches, earning them first place in the first half of the season.
April 25, 1982, was the date chosen for the final. The venue would once again be the Olimpico Stadium in Porto Alegre. More than 60 people were in attendance. And the vast majority of them left disappointed. As predicted the day before in an interview, Zico delivered a beautiful pass to center forward Nunes, and the top scorer in the finals scored the only and decisive goal of the match. It was the second Brazilian title won by Flamengo's Golden Generation. And two more would come.
Farewell with a rout - An era of glory was coming to an end at Flamengo. In December 1989, the greatest football player in the club's history, Zico, retired. After numerous injuries and muscle contusions, the Galinho would hang up his boots. But his farewell would have to be in style.
He scored the first of the club's five goals from a free kick in a derby against arch-rivals Fluminense in a match held in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. The eternal number 10 from Gávea had an unforgettable performance in his last official match wearing the Sacred Mantle. Renato Gaúcho, Luiz Carlos, Uidemar, and Bujica completed the celebration, scoring the other four goals in the historic rout of Fluminense.
The farewell of an eternal idol Zico climbed the stairs to the Temple of Football pitch at 21:25 p.m. on December 6, 1990. Surprising everyone, he started from the referees' locker room, on the opposite side of the field. All the players were lined up. The stadium was dimly lit, and a laser beam show crossed the field, projecting designs onto the stands, where fans waved 40 white handkerchiefs.
It was his last time at the Maracanã Stadium as a Flamengo player. A special day for the fans, for Galinho himself, and for all football fans, even those who aren't Flamengo fans. In a friendly match between the Gávea team and major international stars, the number 10 celebrated his farewell to Brazilian football in front of a packed stadium. The 2-2 result was the least important thing. Galinho's celebration was worth it.
All Flamengo games Zico was voted the third greatest Brazilian player of the 20th century, the seventh greatest in South America, and the fourteenth greatest in the world, according to FIFA. He is one of four Brazilians inducted into the FIFA Hall of Fame (the others are Pelé, Garrincha, and Didi). He was voted the ninth greatest player of the 20th century by France Football magazine, and the ninth Brazilian of the Century in the sport, according to a survey conducted by Isto É magazine.
All of this only happened thanks to his success at Flamengo. He's the club's biggest idol, top scorer, and one of its most capped players. He played 732 matches, scoring 509 goals. Learn more about Galinho's career on Flapédia.
From the friendly match he played alongside Pelé in 1979 to his farewell in 1990, including Brazilian titles, the Libertadores Cup, the 1981 World Cup, the famous 6-0 victory over Botafogo, and much more, it's worth remembering the feats that established Arthur Antunes Coimbra as the greatest player in the history of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo.
A meeting for history April 6, 1979, remains vivid in the memories of Flamengo fans who attended the friendly match between the Red-Blacks and the Galo Mineiro at the Maracanã Stadium. Around 140 fans gathered at the Maracanã stadium to watch the acclaimed King of Football, Pelé, play alongside the King of Gávea, Zico. It was a historic night, with the star striker Júlio César, who had shared a room with Pelé the previous night, standing out.
Already 39 years old, Pelé had a strong performance, despite not scoring any goals. He played a one-two with Zico, reminiscent of his great partnership with Coutinho at Santos. The proceeds from the match, which reached CR$8.781.290,00, were donated to flood victims in Minas Gerais.
Brazil is red and black Flamengo was missing the Brazilian Championship title. In nine years of national championship, Flamengo had consistently had poor campaigns. This led to the team being known, especially in São Paulo, as "a Maracanã team." Despite this, no other Brazilian club had played as much for the country as Flamengo, which defeated even the most powerful of them all: Pelé's Santos. With the arrival of Nunes to replace Cláudio Adão, the team steamrolled its opponents until reaching the final, a home-and-away match against Atlético Mineiro, led by Reinaldo, Toninho Cerezo, and Éder. And Mengão prevailed, with a Zico show, in that 1980 Brazilian Championship.
Botafogo, we like you-6 - Revenge for Botafogo's 6-0 thrashing of Flamengo in 1972 would come nine years later. With an added irony: on the other side was Jairzinho, one of those responsible for the 1972 humiliation, on Flamengo's birthday. No sooner had Flamengo taken the lead than in the sixth minute, than the red-and-blacks erupted in a chorus: "We want six, we want six, we want six." And with a brace from Zico, the golden team from Gávea managed to avenge that 1 thrashing.
The victory of football art - Flamengo's first major international triumph came on November 23, 1981. The Copa Libertadores da América was hosted by Gávea. After going undefeated through the first round, quarterfinals, and semifinals, Flamengo, the 1980 Brazilian champion, reached the 1981 Copa Libertadores final against Chile's Cobreloa.
In the first match, held at Maracanã Stadium, the home team made the most of their home advantage and won 2-1, with two goals from Zico. However, in the return leg, Zico and company were outplayed and lost 1-0. A third match was then scheduled to decide the champion. It took place on November 23rd at Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Led, once again, by Zico, the competition's top scorer with 11 goals, Flamengo imposed its rhythm of play and proved to be a much better team by beating its opponent by an indisputable score of 2-0, with two goals from Galinho.
The world surrenders to Galinho - The greatest match in Flamengo's history. The game of a lifetime for all Flamengo fans. This was Flamengo vs. Liverpool, on December 13, 1981. Champions of the Copa Libertadores da América, beating Cobreloa in the final, the Brazilian team took to the field to eliminate the stigma that they weren't just a "Maracanã team," given that their major titles up to that point had been won at the "Biggest Stadium in the World."
The 62.000 fans who attended Tokyo's National Stadium, many of them Flamengo fans, saw a show by Flamengo, who wore their white jerseys in the final. They saw a show by Zico, inspired by the game. They saw a show by Brazilian football. A show that secured the title for Flamengo in the first half, with an indisputable 3-0 victory that put an end to any doubts about who was the best. Not just in that match, but the best in the world. And it was Flamengo.
Seer and ace The following year, after conquering the Americas and the world, Flamengo entered the Brazilian Championship as the heavy favorite. And it couldn't have been any different. With stars like Zico, Andrade, Adílio, Leandro, and others, Flamengo was the top team of the moment, and they proved it on the field with a stellar run in the Brasileirão's first phase. They lost only two of 2 matches, earning them first place in the first half of the season.
April 25, 1982, was the date chosen for the final. The venue would once again be the Olimpico Stadium in Porto Alegre. More than 60 people were in attendance. And the vast majority of them left disappointed. As predicted the day before in an interview, Zico delivered a beautiful pass to center forward Nunes, and the top scorer in the finals scored the only and decisive goal of the match. It was the second Brazilian title won by Flamengo's Golden Generation. And two more would come.
Farewell with a rout - An era of glory was coming to an end at Flamengo. In December 1989, the greatest football player in the club's history, Zico, retired. After numerous injuries and muscle contusions, the Galinho would hang up his boots. But his farewell would have to be in style.
He scored the first of the club's five goals from a free kick in a derby against arch-rivals Fluminense in a match held in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. The eternal number 10 from Gávea had an unforgettable performance in his last official match wearing the Sacred Mantle. Renato Gaúcho, Luiz Carlos, Uidemar, and Bujica completed the celebration, scoring the other four goals in the historic rout of Fluminense.
The farewell of an eternal idol Zico climbed the stairs to the Temple of Football pitch at 21:25 p.m. on December 6, 1990. Surprising everyone, he started from the referees' locker room, on the opposite side of the field. All the players were lined up. The stadium was dimly lit, and a laser beam show crossed the field, projecting designs onto the stands, where fans waved 40 white handkerchiefs.
It was his last time at the Maracanã Stadium as a Flamengo player. A special day for the fans, for Galinho himself, and for all football fans, even those who aren't Flamengo fans. In a friendly match between the Gávea team and major international stars, the number 10 celebrated his farewell to Brazilian football in front of a packed stadium. The 2-2 result was the least important thing. Galinho's celebration was worth it.
All Flamengo games Zico was voted the third greatest Brazilian player of the 20th century, the seventh greatest in South America, and the fourteenth greatest in the world, according to FIFA. He is one of four Brazilians inducted into the FIFA Hall of Fame (the others are Pelé, Garrincha, and Didi). He was voted the ninth greatest player of the 20th century by France Football magazine, and the ninth Brazilian of the Century in the sport, according to a survey conducted by Isto É magazine.
All of this only happened thanks to his success at Flamengo. He's the club's biggest idol, top scorer, and one of its most capped players. He played 732 matches, scoring 509 goals. Learn more about Galinho's career on Flapédia.