No verified career portrait available.
11 / Brazil · 1949–1962Nílton Santos
Against Austria on 8 June 1958 he carried the ball out of his own half with Feola screaming at him to get back, ignored him all the way, and scored the second in a 3-0 win in Brazil's opening match. He won that World Cup and the next one in Chile, added the 1949 South American title, made the 1958 all-star eleven, won four Carioca championships and never once played for a club other than Botafogo. Career record: 75 caps and 3 goals for Brazil; club career at Botafogo F.R.; honours include FIFA World Cup 1958, FIFA World Cup 1962.
Career record
| 1948–1964 | Botafogo F.R. |
| Brazil | 75 caps, 3 goals |
Sources
- Senior international years checked 4 October 2026
- Caps · Brazil checked 4 October 2026
- Goals · Brazil checked 4 October 2026
- Honours · FIFA World Cup 1958 · Winning team checked 4 October 2026
- Honours · FIFA World Cup 1962 · Winning team checked 4 October 2026
Shared the era
Brazil legends whose careers overlapped Santos's
Around Santos in the almanac
One rank above: Neymar at #10.
One rank below: Sócrates at #12.
Brazil's editorial top five: Pelé · Garrincha · Ronaldinho · Ronaldo Nazário · Romário.