It seems like yesterday, but it's been two decades since the greatest idol of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo hung up his boots. On February 6, 1990, Zico ended his Flamengo football career in front of a packed Maracanã stadium, in a celebration that will be forever etched in the memory of those who had the opportunity to witness history being made. The stadium's all-time leading scorer bid farewell to the Greatest in the World and the club that made him famous and led him to the greatest glories of his 114 years.

Zico climbed the stairs to the Temple of Football pitch at 21:25 p.m. 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 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 was worth the celebration; despite feeling unwell at the end of the match, he soon recovered and received guests at a dinner at the Rio Palace Hotel (now called Sofitel) in Copacabana.

At 16 p.m. the next day, he was already up at Largo da Carioca to deliver a check for the proceeds from the match (NCz$3.958.000, approximately US$100) to the Hemophiliac House for the construction of a hospital, which was built at 764 Rua Conde de Bonfim, in the Tijuca neighborhood of Rio. Zico was saying his final goodbye as a Flamengo player, after a career of many glories. However, he would once again dazzle everyone with his talent on the field, this time on the other side of the world, in Japan.

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Zico's farewell match was no ordinary one. The game was split into two. The first 45 minutes were a tribute to the Flamengo that conquered the world, from the team's formation to the white uniform worn in the Tokyo title. The 1981 team, led by Paulo César Carpeggiani, played without defenders Figueiredo, who died in an accident, and Mozer, who was unable to attend. On the other side was a combined lineup of world soccer stars.

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The game ended in a 2-2 draw. In the 43rd minute, at precisely 23:23 p.m., referee Wilson Carlos dos Santos stopped the game. Zico performed a lap of honor, accompanied by a moving chorus of "The Time's Coming." On the sidelines, he repeated Carlinhos' symbolic gesture in 1970 and handed his boots to Pintinho, the top scorer in the youth team and considered by Flamengo officials to be a promising prospect. In the center of the field, two hundred children from a school in the Quintino neighborhood gathered. The star gave a speech of thanks, highlighting the joys he experienced during his career, and at 23:35 p.m., he bid farewell to the nearly 90 fans present at the Maracanã.

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Learn more about this historic match on Flapedia.
Also check out a video published on YouTube with highlights from the game.