DIDI

Waldyr Pereira (8 October 1928 – 12 May 2001), nicknamed Didi (Portuguese pronunciation: [dʒiˈdʒi]), was a Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder or as a forward. An elegant player, Didi is considered to be one of the greatest midfielders in the history of the sport, and was renowned for his range of passing, stamina and technique; he was nicknamed the "Ethiopian Prince" throughout his career. A dead-ball specialist, he became famous for inventing the folha seca (dry leaf) free kicks, notably used by modern-day players such as Ronaldinho and Juninho, where the ball would swerve downward unexpectedly at a point resulting in a goal.

He became professional playing for Americano de Campos and came to prominence when he joined Fluminense in 1949. During seven seasons with the club he won the Campeonato carioca in 1951 and 1952 Copa Rio.[2][3]. At club level, he moved to Botafogo, winning the Campeonato Carioca (Rio state championship) in 1957. Didi had previously promised to walk from the Maracanã to his house, in the neighbourhood of Laranjeiras (9,4 km), in his kit, if Botafogo won the championship; 5,000 Botafogo fans joined him as he did so. After his international exploits, his fame began to soar and in 1959 he was signed by Real Madrid of Spain. He played only 19 matches with 6 goals for the Spaniards and often clashed with the team leader Alfredo Di Stéfano, who felt offended by the divide in the fans' attention with this newcomer; this situation precipitated his exit from the club. He then returned to Botafogo, where he won Campeonato Carioca in 1961, 1962, Torneio Rio – São Paulo 1962 and the State Championship in 1961, 1962. He then moved around several clubs before retiring with a short period at CD Veracruz, another return to Botafogo sandwiched between two spells at Sao Paulo.

He played in three FIFA World Cups (1954, 1958, and 1962). During the 1954 World Cup he scored goals against Mexico and Yugoslavia, before Brazil's defeat to the favorites Hungary. This match was known as the Battle of Berne; Didi was involved with the brawl that followed this bad-tempered match. His greatest achievement came at the 1958 FIFA World Cup where he was player of the tournament. From midfield, he masterminded Brazil's first ever triumph and erased the ghosts of 1950. As defending champions in 1962, Brazil lost Pele through injury and whilst Garrincha stole the show with a series of match-winning displays, Didi alongside his trusty sidekick Zito once again provided a magnificent platform in midfield for Brazil to claim a second World Cup and the only team to do so in consecutive tournaments. In 68 international matches he scored 20 goals,including a dozen using his trademark free-kicks.