Brazilian Legend Socrates- Football's Cool Maestro dies

Socrates, one of the true masters of the beautiful game died Sunday, aged 57.

Socrates, captained the 1982 Brazilian national team that included Zico,Falcao and Eder and have often been lauded as "the best team never to win a World Cup."

Paying a tribute to the King of Cool, Henry Winter writes in The Telegraph: Brazil’s captain struck twice in Spain, the first coming against the USSR in Seville. It was a classic, Socrates sidestepping two opponents sliding in despairingly, knowing the venom lurking in that famous right foot. The pain duly came, Socrates rifling a shot past Rinat Dasaev, the highly respected Soviet keeper.

The majesty of many of Socrates’ goals lay in their technical brilliance, the stellar significance of the occasion and often the quality of the goalkeeper condemned to fetch the ball out of the net.

After Dasaev, Socrates also caught out Dino Zoff. It came in one of the most epic contests in World Cup history, a match with Italy played out in the heat of Barcelona. Countless millions tuning in around the world watched transfixed as Socrates strolled through the middle, playing a firm pass to Zico before striding on. Zico stroked a superb return pass for Socrates, who glided into the box before beating Zoff. Sublime.

The ball entered the goal at the near post, a surprising mistake from a keeper of Zoff’s class yet Socrates had advanced radiating such confidence, almost toying with Zoff’s mind with his eyes, that a goal was inevitable. Paolo Rossi’s hat-trick saved Italy, leaving Brazil heading home early, grasping only plaudits.

“To win is not the most important thing,” reflected Socrates. “Football is an art and should be showing creativity. If Vincent van Gogh and Edgar Degas had known when they were doing their work the level of recognition they were going to have, they would not have done them the same. You have to enjoy doing the art and not think, 'will I win?’ ”.

Socrates leaves behind a cherished principle that football should be about artistry. His goals stand as a vivid reminder of that cultured credo.


Socrates has not won the World Cup, but his performances on the world stage make him an all-time great of the game, and he will be remembered as a true gifted footballing icon of the 1980s.