Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈmaɾju zaˈɡalu]; 9 August 1931 – 5 January 2024) was a Brazilian professional football player, coordinator and manager, who played as a forward.

He was the first of three men, along with Germany's Franz Beckenbauer (who coincidentially died two days after Zagallo) and France's Didier Deschamps to have won the World Cup as a player and as a manager, and the only one who had done each more than once.

[7] As a young man, he committed to complete his military service in the Brazilian Army; he was notably deployed at the Maracanã Stadium when Uruguay defeated Brazil in the 1950 World Cup decisive match.

[7][8] Zagallo started his football career in the youth sector of América,[6] before joining Flamengo in 1950;[9][10] having turned professional and established himself within the Mengão's first team, he helped the club win three consecutive titles in the Campeonato Carioca between 1953 and 1955.

[8] Zagallo was a diminutive left winger with a small physique, who was known for his technical skills and his high defensive work-rate, as well as his ability to make attacking runs from deeper areas of the pitch.

[6][8] During his stint as Brazil's head coach, Zagallo mainly adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation; he was considered to be one of the first managers to focus on the physical preparation of his players before long-lasting tournaments, including the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

[18] At the 1974 FIFA World Cup in West Germany, Zagallo was disadvantaged by the international retirement of Pelé four years earlier, as well as injuries to Tostão and Carlos Alberto Torres, meaning that only two starting players from the 1970 final were in the squad.

He led the amateurs to an unexpected first qualification to the tournament, but left for Vasco da Gama days before the World Cup began and was replaced by Carlos Alberto Parreira.

[21] He then returned to the Brazilian national team as a coordinator and assistant coach, and helped the side win the 1994 FIFA World Cup while serving in those roles.

[31] Following a brief hospitalization in Rio de Janeiro, he died on 5 January 2024 due to multiple organ failure, resulting from the exacerbation of various pre-existing comorbidities.