Brazil legend Garrincha, who played alongside Pele in two World Cup-winning teams, was a true footballing icon, who lived life to the fullest and off the pitch he was a man of mystery and intrigue
Football icon Garrincha was quite an eccentric character – and that’s putting it mildly.
The Brazilian legend, who graced the pitch alongside the extraordinary Pele and would have celebrated his birthday this week, was instrumental in securing consecutive World Cup triumphs for his country in 1958 and 1962.
Garrincha, christened Manuel Francisco dos Santos, measured 5ft6in and had one leg that was six centimetres shorter than the other, coupled with a bow-legged condition.
Despite these physical challenges, Garrincha ascended to legendary heights, earning a spot in the World Cup All-Star squad for the 1958 tournament in Sweden and sharing the top scorer honours in Chile four years later.
Yet his on-field brilliance represents merely one facet of what makes him a footballing legend, because whilst he starred alongside the GOAT, he also, rather bizarrely, engaged with an actual goat.
It has been extensively documented that the Brazilian winger lost his virginity to a goat at the tender age of 12. This farmyard incident represents merely a fraction of Garrincha’s complex romantic history.
The tragic figure, who succumbed to liver cirrhosis brought on by alcoholism at just 49 in 1983, reportedly fathered 14 children after intimate encounters with hundreds of women throughout South America.
He was twice wedded, first to Nair Marques and later to samba songstress Elza Soares, before embarking on a romance with showgirl Angelita Martinez. Garrincha became a father before his 20th birthday and a grandfather by the age of 40.
In a tragic incident, he accidentally ran over his own father with his car, but this wasn’t his only vehicular disaster. In April 1969, Garrincha was driving when he collided with an oncoming lorry, resulting in the death of his mother-in-law who was seated next to him.
This event reportedly escalated his drinking habits and unpredictable behaviour.
After retiring twice, first in 1969 and then in 1972, it’s been alleged that during his time at Botafogo, the winger had a peculiar way of welcoming new recruits. He would “eat a really spicy meal” and then break wind in the face of the newcomers as a form of introduction.
Despite his off-field antics, Garrincha’s footballing prowess was virtually unmatched, earning him recognition as one of the greatest dribblers in the history of the sport.
Reflecting on their time together, the late Pele said in 2018: “I never played with or against anyone better than Garrincha. On the pitch we were team-mates. Off the pitch we were brothers.”
Garrincha’s exceptional talent led to him being voted into the World Team of the 20th Century by 250 football writers and journalists, and he secured seventh place in the FIFA Player of the Century vote.
#Football #icon #lost #virginity #goat #bonking #machine #kids
