Football - The Story of Garrincha - The "Little Bird"

July 12, 2006

Now that the World Cup is over, and the legends of the game are being counted, it is important to remember a man who died an alcoholic, alone and nearly anonymous - Garrincha or the "Little Bird" - the man who led Brazil to World Cup victory in 1958 and 1962. Those who saw him play rated him a better player than even the great Pele, which means he was the best football player the world has ever seen.

Garrincha or "Little Bird" was born Manuel Francisco dos Santos in a poor Brazilian family. He was born with a defect in one of his legs - one leg was shorter and curved inwards. This defect however was perfect when it came to football. It gave him the ability to dribble rings around players, and to suddenly turn and accelerate at great speed, leaving opposing defenders stranded in his wake. He was, undisputedly, the greatest dribbler of the football the world has ever seen.

In 1962, he won the World Cup games against England and Chile almost single-handed in the absence of Pele, who was injured. An interesting fact is that Brazil never lost a game when Garrincha and Pele played together in the Brazilian team.

Garrincha was a man of slight build and stature. He was also a simple, uncomplicated man. When his team-mates were celebrating the 1958 World Cup win, he was initially bemused, having been under the impression that the competition was more league-like and that Brazil would play all the other teams twice!!

Pele was an industrious man, who saved and invested his money wisely. He appeared in commercials, worked hard, became a football celebrity and a multi-millionaire. Garrincha believed whole-heartedly in having fun. His passions in life were football, women and alcohol - in that order. He is known to have fathered at least 14 illegitimate children from numerous women, none of whom was his wife. He was interested in playing football - he did not know how to handle money or celebrity. Other raunchy stories about him are legion - it is said that he lost his virginity to a goat. Of course, Garrincha isn't around to verify or dispute these stories.

He died in 1983 at the age of 49, of liver failure caused by years of alcohol abuse. Even on his deathbed in the hospital, he could not restrain himself. He drank prodigiously and had sex with nurses assigned to look after him.

He was a cripple, an illiterate, an alcoholic, a womaniser - and a complete footballing genius. Maybe the message on his gravestone says it best: "Here rests in peace the one who was the Joy of the People — Mané Garrincha."