No verified career portrait available.
22 / Brazil · 1966–1972Tostão
A ball struck him in the face against Corinthians in 1969 and detached his retina; he went to Mexico the next summer anyway and played 1970 by dropping off the front line to open it. He won the 1970 World Cup with two goals and four assists, was South American Footballer of the Year in 1971, scored 249 goals in 378 games for Cruzeiro, took the 1966 Taça Brasil off Pelé's Santos, and retired at 27. Career record: 54 caps and 32 goals for Brazil; club career at América Futebol Clube, Cruzeiro E.C., CR Vasco da Gama; honours include FIFA World Cup 1970.
Career record
| 1962–1963 | América Futebol Clube |
| 1964–1971 | Cruzeiro E.C. |
| 1972–1973 | CR Vasco da Gama |
| Brazil | 54 caps, 32 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 1970 · Winning team checked 4 October 2026
Shared the era
Brazil legends whose careers overlapped Tostão's
Around Tostão in the almanac
One rank above: Kaká at #21.
One rank below: Vavá at #23.
Brazil's editorial top five: Pelé · Garrincha · Ronaldinho · Ronaldo Nazário · Romário.