In 1962, when Pelé got injured, Garrincha led Brazil to a World Cup victory with a dominating performance throughout the tournament.

[8] Due to his immense popularity in Brazil, he was also called Alegria do Povo (People's Joy) and Anjo de Pernas Tortas (Bent-Legged Angel).

[9] At club level, Garrincha played the majority of his professional career for the Brazilian team Botafogo.

[11] Garrincha was born in Pau Grande, a district of Magé, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in 1933.

[16] Garrincha's younger brother, Jimmy dos Santos, played 20 games for Série A side CR Vasco da Gama in 1959.

[17] He played in a 5–0 win for Botafogo's reserves and then scored a hat trick on his first-team début against Bonsucesso on 19 July 1953.

After the 1962 World Cup, Garrincha returned to Rio and carried Botafogo to victory in the 1962 Campeonato Carioca final against Flamengo.

[18] An entertainer renowned for his dribbling skills in taking on opposing players, Garrincha inspiring the first bullfighting chants of olé to be used at football grounds; during a 1958 club game for Botafogo he gave a footballing lesson to River Plate defender Vairo, constantly teasing, feinting and going past him to ole's from the crowd, and when he "forgot" the ball and sprinted away with Vairo running after him the chants of olés changed to laughter.

[19] Garrincha was subject to numerous transfer attempts by rich European clubs like Juventus of Turin, Italy who tried to sign him in 1954.

[citation needed] Garrincha played 50 international matches for Brazil between 1955 and 1966, and was a starter for the national team in the 1958, 1962 and 1966 World Cups.

[citation needed] On 29 May, ten days before the 1958 World Cup finals started, Garrincha scored one of his most famous goals, against Fiorentina in Italy.

[20][21] Despite his stunning performance his coaches were upset at what they considered an irresponsible move and this likely led to Garrincha not being picked for Brazil's first two matches of the 1958 tournament.

With the match still less than a minute old, he set up a chance for Pelé, who hit the crossbar,[15] and continually caused problems for the Soviet defence.

Following the Brazilians' narrow 1–0 quarter-final win against Wales on 19 June 1958, Mel Hopkins (the fullback who faced him that game) described Garrincha as "a phenomenon, capable of sheer magic.

"[9] In the final against Sweden, Brazil fell behind 0–1 early, but rapidly equalized after Garrincha went past his marker on the right wing and sent a cross for Vavá to score.

Brazil ended winning the match and its first World Cup trophy, with Garrincha being one of the best players of the tournament; he was voted to the "Best XI" for the competition.

As his teammates were celebrating the 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.

[24] Garrincha put on weight after the World Cup, partly because of his drinking,[25] so he was dropped from the national team for a friendly match in Rio against England on 13 May 1959.

"[citation needed] During the quarter final, a stray dog ran onto the pitch and evaded all of the players' efforts to catch it until England striker Jimmy Greaves got down on all fours to beckon the animal.

Garrincha played despite suffering from a severe fever,[33] which did not prevent Brazil from winning 3–1 and him from getting voted player of the tournament.

On 19 December 1973, a farewell match for Garrincha between a FIFA World team and Brazil was celebrated at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, in front of 131,000 spectators.

The FIFA team was composed mainly of Argentine and Uruguayan players, while Brazil fielded Pelé, Carlos Alberto, and several other members of the 1970 World Cup winning squad.

He drank heavily throughout his adult life and was involved in several serious road accidents, notably a crash into a lorry in April 1969 which killed his mother-in-law.

[9] After a series of financial and marital problems, Garrincha died of cirrhosis of the liver[32] on 20 January 1983, in an alcoholic coma in Rio de Janeiro.

His last years were unhappy and obscure – he seemed to have become a forgotten hero – but his funeral procession, from the Maracanã to Pau Grande, drew millions of fans, friends and former players to pay their respects.

An explosive, agile, and diminutive right winger with a low centre of gravity,[41][42][43][44] Garrincha is renowned for his creativity, pace, and speed of execution, as well as his remarkable ball control, technique, flair, imagination, dribbling skills and feints on the wing, which enabled him to create chances out of nothing.

"[49][50][51] Adored by the Brazilian public due to his innocence, carefree attitude and ability to entertain in making fools of opposing players, Garrincha was referred to as "Joy of the People".

[citation needed] The numerous attacks and goal opportunities he generated through individual plays would often end up in an accurate pass to a teammate in a position to score.