Leônidas da Silva (Portuguese pronunciation: [leˈõnidɐz dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; 6 September 1913 – 24 January 2004) was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward.

At the height of his career, Leônidas da Silva was very popular amongst the people of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro.

For São Paulo, da Silva used the bicycle kick on two occasions: the first on 14 June 1942, in the defeat against Palestra Italia (currently Palmeiras).

Leônidas managed to score against the Czechs, but his injuries got worse, making him definitely unable to be used in the next game – the semifinal against Italy.

This version still circulates, despite the fact that Leônidas had written a letter, which was published by certain newspapers at the time, in which he clarified that Pimenta had no choice but to rest him due to the Niginho affair.

In their place, Romeu was chosen as the team's improvised center-forward for the match, scoring Brazil's goal late in the game.

At the height of his career, Leônidas da Silva was very popular amongst the people of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro.

[19] Leônidas had a major impact on and off the field because of his ability to relate to the working classes of Brazil, and his humble beginnings and racial representation led to this national popularity.

[20] In the year 1938, Leônidas especially gained massive popularity after his appearance in the World Cup tournament and it was around this time he started to receive numerous advertisement offers, such as for watches and cigarettes.

[20] His willingness to participate in interviews and being a constant within the public eye helped his fans feel personally connected to Leônidas.