Nílton Santos
Encyclopedia
Nílton Reis dos Santos is a Brazilian former association footballer who played defender
. Born in Rio de Janeiro
, he was a pioneering left back, being one of first full backs to participate in the offensive game.
He was called "The Encyclopedia
" because of his knowledge of the sport of football. He was world class both at defending and attacking and possessed very good technique. Nílton was a key player in defence during the 1954, 1958 and 1962 World Cup finals (he was also in the Brazilian squad for the 1950 finals, but made no appearances) and became famous for scoring a magnificent goal in the 1958 tournament when Brazil played Austria
. Dribbling his way through the whole field, he finished with a superb shot, driving his coach Vicente Feola
crazy (he kept on insisting for Nílton to retreat to the defensive field, but was ignored until the goal was scored).
Pelé named him in his "top 125 greatest living footballers"
in March 2004.
Nílton Santos played for only 2 teams in his professional career; Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
and the Brazilian national team
collecting 75 caps and scoring 3 goals; he is regarded as the best left wingback in the history of the game.
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. Born in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, he was a pioneering left back, being one of first full backs to participate in the offensive game.
He was called "The Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
" because of his knowledge of the sport of football. He was world class both at defending and attacking and possessed very good technique. Nílton was a key player in defence during the 1954, 1958 and 1962 World Cup finals (he was also in the Brazilian squad for the 1950 finals, but made no appearances) and became famous for scoring a magnificent goal in the 1958 tournament when Brazil played Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
. Dribbling his way through the whole field, he finished with a superb shot, driving his coach Vicente Feola
Vicente Feola
Vicente Ítalo Feola, usually known as Vicente Feola , was an Italian Brazilian soccer coach who lived in São Paulo. He became famous for leading the national soccer team to its first FIFA World Cup title in 1958.-Biography:As São Paulo FC coach, Feola won the 1948 and 1949 Campeonato Paulista...
crazy (he kept on insisting for Nílton to retreat to the defensive field, but was ignored until the goal was scored).
Pelé named him in his "top 125 greatest living footballers"
FIFA 100
The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
in March 2004.
Nílton Santos played for only 2 teams in his professional career; Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas , also known as Botafogo and familiarly as Estrela Solitária, is a Brazilian sports club based in Botafogo, neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, best known for its football team. They play in the Campeonato Carioca, Rio de Janeiro's state league, and the Campeonato...
and the Brazilian national team
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
collecting 75 caps and scoring 3 goals; he is regarded as the best left wingback in the history of the game.