Didi (footballer, born 1928)
{{short description|Brazilian footballer (1928–2001)}}
{{For|other footballers named Didi|Didi (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Waldir Pereira|the football player born in 1986|Waldir Lucas Pereira}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Didi
| image = Waldir Pereira 1958.jpg
| caption = Didi in 1958
| fullname = Waldyr Pereira
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1928|10|8}}
| birth_place = Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2001|5|12|1928|10|8}}
| death_place = Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| height = 1.72 m
| position = {{plainlist|
}}
| youthyears1 = 1944
| youthyears2 = 1945
| youthyears3 = 1945
| youthyears4 = 1945–1946
| youthyears5 = 1946
| youthclubs1 = São Cristóvão
| youthclubs2 = Industrial
| youthclubs3 = Rio Branco
| youthclubs4 = Goytacaz
| youthclubs5 = Americano
| years2 = 1949–1956
| years3 = 1956–1959
| years4 = 1959–1960
| years5 = 1960–1962
| years6 = 1962–1964
| years7 = 1964–1965
| years8 = 1965–1966
| years9 = 1966
| clubs1 = Madureira
| clubs2 = Fluminense
| clubs3 = Botafogo
| clubs4 = Real Madrid
| clubs5 = Botafogo
| clubs6 = Sporting Cristal
| clubs7 = Botafogo
| clubs8 = CD Veracruz
| clubs9 = São Paulo
| caps1 = 32
| caps2 = 150
| caps3 = 64
| caps4 = 19
| caps5 = 44
| caps6 = 32
| caps7 = 11
| caps8 = 29
| caps9 = 4
| goals1 = 8
| goals2 = 51
| goals3 = 40
| goals4 = 6
| goals5 = 19
| goals6 = 4
| goals7 = 1
| goals8 = 4
| goals9 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 1952–1962
| nationalteam1 = Brazil
| nationalcaps1 = 68
| nationalgoals1 = 20
| manageryears1 = 1962–1964
| manageryears2 = 1967–1969
| manageryears3 = 1969–1970
| manageryears4 = 1970–1971
| manageryears5 = 1972–1975
| manageryears6 = 1975
| manageryears7 = 1977
| manageryears8 = 1977–1981
| manageryears9 = 1981
| manageryears10 = 1981
| manageryears11 = 1982–1983
| manageryears12 = 1985
| manageryears13 = 1986
| manageryears14 = 1986
| manageryears15 = 1989–1990
| managerclubs1 = Sporting Cristal
| managerclubs2 = Sporting Cristal
| managerclubs3 = Peru
| managerclubs4 = River Plate
| managerclubs5 = Fenerbahçe
| managerclubs6 = Fluminense
| managerclubs7 = Cruzeiro
| managerclubs8 = Al-Ahli
| managerclubs9 = Botafogo
| managerclubs10 = Cruzeiro
| managerclubs11 = Al-Shabab{{cite web |title=الشباب يلغي معسكره فالشرقية |url=https://search.al-jazirah.com.sa/FLASHPDFARCH/1982/AUG1982/28-08-1982-3637/3637-02501.jpg}}
| managerclubs12 = Fortaleza
| managerclubs13 = São Paulo
| managerclubs14 = Alianza Lima
| managerclubs15 = Bangu
|medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's Football}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|BRA|1889}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|FIFA World Cup}}
{{Medal|W|1958 Sweden|}}
{{Medal|W|1962 Chile|}}
{{MedalCompetition|Copa América}}
{{Medal|RU|1953 Peru|}}
{{Medal|RU|1957 Peru|}}
{{Medal|RU|1959 Argentina|}}
{{MedalCompetition|Panamerican Championship}}
{{Medal|W|1952 Chile|}}
}}
Waldyr Pereira (8 October 1928 – 12 May 2001), also known as Didi ({{IPA|pt-BR|dʒiˈdʒi|lang}}), was a Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder or as a forward. He played in three FIFA World Cups (1954, 1958, and 1962), winning the latter two.
An elegant and technical player, Didi was renowned for his range of passing, stamina and technique. He also was a free-kick specialist, being famous for inventing the folha seca (dry leaf) dead ball free kicks, notably used by modern-day players such as Juninho and Cristiano Ronaldo, where the ball would swerve downward unexpectedly at a point resulting in a goal.[https://web.archive.org/web/20120617103741/http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/features/news/newsid=1551015/index.html "Kings of the free-kick"]. FIFA.com. Retrieved 20 May 2014{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/may/15/guardianobituaries.football|title=Didi|work=The Guardian|author1=Brian Glanville|date=15 May 2001|access-date=21 February 2017}}{{cite web|title=Didi|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1330266/Didi.html|publisher=The Telegraph|access-date=21 February 2017|date=15 May 2001}}
During his career, he was part of Fluminense between the end of the 1940s to the mid-1950s and one of the main players of the iconic squad of Botafogo in the early 1960s with other world champions such as Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Zagallo and Amarildo.
Early life
Didi was born into a poor family in the city of Campos dos Goytacazes, 150 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. As a youngster, he sold peanuts in order to help his family, and began playing football in the streets and nearly had his right leg amputated when he was 14 due to a severe infection following an injury to his knee. He later recovered and played for local clubs in his hometown.
Playing career
File:1958 VM-final Sverige-Brasilien.jpg and Gilmar.]]
He became professional playing for Madureira and came to prominence when he joined Fluminense in 1949. At Fluminense, Didi played between 1949 and 1956, the club for which he played the longest time without interruption, having played 298 matches and scored 91 goals, being one of the main responsible for winning the 1951 Carioca Championship, in addition to scoring the first goal in the history of Maracanã for the Carioca Selection in 1950, defending his childhood club, and leading the Brazil National team in winning the 1952 Panamerican Championship, disputed in Chile, in the first relevant achievement of the Brazil national team abroad, having played alongside Djalma Santos, Castilho, Waldo, Telê Santana, Orlando Pingo de Ouro, Altair and Pinheiro, among others. During seven seasons with the club he won the Campeonato carioca in 1951 and 1952 Copa Rio. On 16 June 1950, in a friendly match involving Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo youth state teams, Didi (aged 21), playing for Rio de Janeiro, scored the first ever goal at the Maracanã Stadium.[http://www.sambafoot.com/en/articles/30_Maracana_the_largest_stadium_of_the_world_page_1.html Maracanã Stadium], Sambafoot
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.
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.{{cite book |last=Bellos |first=Alex | author-link = Alex Bellos|title=Futebol: the Brazilian way of life |url=https://archive.org/details/futebolbrazilian0000bell |url-access=registration |publisher=Bloomsbury |location=London |year=2002 |isbn=0-7475-6179-6}}
His greatest achievement came at the 1958 FIFA World Cup where he was player of the tournament. From midfield, he masterminded the first of his two FIFA World Cup successes for Brazil. In 68 international matches he scored 20 goals,[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/didi-intl.html Waldir Pereira "Didi" – International Appearances and Goals], RSSSF, 6 September 2006 including a dozen using his trademark free-kicks.
In 1959, he was signed by Real Madrid of Spain, playing alongside many historical players such as Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stefano and Francisco Gento.
Despite his great reputation after the 1958 FIFA World Cup, he played only 19 matches with six 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. Nevertheless, despite his brief stint as a player for Real Madrid, he was able to participate in the victorious campaign of 1959–60 European Cup, becoming the first Brazilian player to win both the FIFA World Cup and the European Cup.
After Real Madrid he came back to Botafogo being part one of the most successful Brazilian teams at club level of all times. The Botafogo in the early 60s with the well-known Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Zagallo, Amarildo, Quarentinha and the very promising youngsters such as Manga, Gérson, Rildo and Jairzinho. At the time, Botafogo was the only club in national level able to compete against the Santos of Pelé.
After almost three successful years with Botafogo, he signed with Sporting Cristal from Peru in 1963, and returning once again for Botafogo for the last time in 1964. Botafogo was the club for which Didi played the most matches: he played 313 games and scored 114 goals. He was Rio champion for the club in 1957, 1961 and 1962 and also won the 1962 Rio-São Paulo Tournament, the same year he won the Pentagonal of Mexico and, in 1963, the Paris Tournament.
In 1965 he moved to the Mexican league to play for C.D. Veracruz. In 1966, at the age of 38, he signed with São Paulo expecting to lead the team with his experience, but he played only four games. After that, he decided to become a coach and retired as a player.
Managerial career
After retiring as player, he began a coach career with Sporting Cristal, and was called to manage the Peru national team in the 1970 FIFA World Cup, successfully guided the Peruvians qualifying at the expense of Argentina, repaying the debt for eliminating Peru from 1958 FIFA World Cup.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eluniverso.com/deportes/2017/11/19/nota/6486493/gareca-didi-verdugos-heroes-peru/|title=Ricardo Gareca y Waldir Pereira, los verdugos y héroes de Perú|date=19 November 2017}} That team included stars like Teófilo Cubillas and Héctor Chumpitaz were eventually defeated in the quarter-finals by Brazil. In 1971, he managed the top Argentine club, River Plate, when he accepted a lucrative position, and had his apex in his coaching career with Turkish Giant Fenerbahçe, guiding the team to two consecutive Turkish First Division (later named Süper Lig) titles in 1973–1974 and later in 1974–1975.
He also coached important Brazilian clubs like Bangu, Fluminense, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, Peruvian club Alianza Lima, the Kuwaiti national team and Al-Ahli.
Later years
He would marry two times throughout his life. His son Bibi who also played as a professional footballer would come from his first marriage to his first wife, Maria Luíza do Espírito Santo.{{Cite web|last1=García|first1=Gustavo|last2=Andrade|first2=Juan|last3=Rodríguez|first3=Juan|date=20 June 2018|title=Taxista no RJ, filho não criado por Didi fala da relação com o pai: "Não tenho mágoas"|url=https://ge.globo.com/rj/serra-lagos-norte/futebol/noticia/taxista-no-rj-filho-nao-criado-por-didi-fala-da-relacao-com-o-pai-nao-tenho-magoas.ghtml|website={{interlanguage link|Ge (newspaper)|lt=Ge|pt|ge (portal)}}|language=pt-BR|access-date=8 March 2025}}
In October 2000, he was inducted into the FIFA Hall of Champions.{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/en/mens/awards/index/0,2419,17325,00.html?articleid=17325 |title=Rivaldo on top of the world |work=FIFA |access-date=4 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061213041958/http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/awards/index/0,2419,17325,00.html?articleid=17325 |archive-date=13 December 2006 |url-status=dead }} By this time he was quite ill and died the following year in Rio de Janeiro, at the age of 72, after contracting pneumonia from complications arising from intestinal cancer.
Career statistics
=International=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year{{NFT player|17934|access-date=24 October 2024}} | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="10"|Brazil
|1952 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1953 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1954 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1955 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1956 | 10 | 2 | |
| 1957 | 10 | 9 | |
| 1958 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1959 | 7 | 3 | |
| 1961 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1962 | 10 | 1 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!68 | 20 |
:Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Didi goal.
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Didi |
| scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition !scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| style="text-align:center"|1
|{{dts|16 April 1952}} |Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile |{{fb|Uruguay}} |style="text-align:center"|1–0 |style="text-align:center"|4–2 |
| style="text-align:center"|2
|{{dts|16 June 1954}} |Charmilles Stadium, Geneva, Switzerland |{{fb|Mexico}} |style="text-align:center"|2–0 |style="text-align:center"|5–0 |
| style="text-align:center"|3
|{{dts|19 June 1954}} |Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland |{{fb|Yugoslavia}} |style="text-align:center"|1–1 |style="text-align:center"|1–1 |1954 FIFA World Cup |
| style="text-align:center"|4
|{{dts|15 April 1956}} |Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria |{{fb|Austria}} |style="text-align:center"|– |style="text-align:center"|3–2 |
| style="text-align:center"|5
|{{dts|9 May 1956}} |Wembley Stadium, London, England |{{fb|England}} |style="text-align:center"|2–2 |style="text-align:center"|2–4 |Friendly |
| style="text-align:center"|6
|rowspan="3"|{{dts|13 April 1957}} |rowspan="3"|Estadio Nacional del Perú, Lima, Peru |rowspan="3"|{{fb|Chile}} |style="text-align:center"|1–1 |rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|4–2 |rowspan="3"|1957 South American Championship |
| style="text-align:center"|7
|style="text-align:center"|2–1 |
| style="text-align:center"|8
|style="text-align:center"|3–1 |
| style="text-align:center"|9
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|23 March 1957}} |rowspan="2"|Estadio Nacional del Perú, Lima, Peru |rowspan="2"|{{fb|Colombia}} |style="text-align:center"|5–0 |rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|9–0 |rowspan="2"|1957 South American Championship |
| style="text-align:center"|10
|style="text-align:center"|6–0 |
| style="text-align:center"|11
|{{dts|28 March 1957}} |Estadio Nacional del Perú, Lima, Peru |{{fb|Uruguay}} |style="text-align:center"|2–3 |style="text-align:center"|2–3 |1957 South American Championship |
| style="text-align:center"|12
|{{dts|31 March 1957}} |Estadio Nacional del Perú, Lima, Peru |{{fb|Peru}} |style="text-align:center"|1–0 |style="text-align:center"|1–0 |1957 South American Championship |
| style="text-align:center"|13
|{{dts|21 April 1957}} |Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |{{fb|Peru}} |style="text-align:center"|1–0 |style="text-align:center"|1–0 |
| style="text-align:center"|14
|{{dts|11 June 1957}} |Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |{{fb|Portugal}} |style="text-align:center"|– |style="text-align:center"|2–1 |Friendly |
| style="text-align:center"|15
|{{dts|24 June 1958}} |Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden |{{fb|France}} |style="text-align:center"|2–1 |style="text-align:center"|5–2 |
| style="text-align:center"|16
|{{dts|10 March 1959}} |Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |{{fb|Peru}} |style="text-align:center"|1–0 |style="text-align:center"|2–2 |
| style="text-align:center"|17
|{{dts|15 March 1959}} |Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |{{fb|Chile}} |style="text-align:center"|3–0 |style="text-align:center"|3–0 |1959 South American Championship |
| style="text-align:center"|18
|{{dts|21 March 1959}} |Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |{{fb|Bolivia}} |style="text-align:center"|4–2 |style="text-align:center"|4–2 |1959 South American Championship |
| style="text-align:center"|19
|{{dts|7 May 1961}} |Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile |{{fb|Chile}} |style="text-align:center"|– |style="text-align:center"|2–1 |
| style="text-align:center"|20
|{{dts|21 April 1962}} |Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |{{fb|Paraguay}} |style="text-align:center"|– |style="text-align:center"|6–0 |
Honours
=Player=
Botafogo
- Campeonato Carioca: 1957, 1961, 1962
- Torneio Rio–São Paulo: 1962
- Tournament Home: 1961, 1962, 1963
- Colombia International Tournament: 1960
- Pentagonal Club of Mexico: 1962
Fluminense
Real Madrid
Brazil
- FIFA World Cup: 1958, 1962{{cite web|title=Didi, the unflappable genius|publisher=FIFA.com|url=https://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=63855/profile.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910005546/http://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=63855/profile.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 September 2015|access-date=23 October 2015}}
- Copa Oswaldo Cruz: 1955, 1958, 1961, 1962
- O'Higgins Cup: 1955, 1961
- Panamerican Championship: 1952
- Taça do Atlântico: 1956
=Individual=
- FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1958{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/afdeveloping/technicaldevp/50/09/13/fwc_spain_1982_en_part3_285.pdf|title=1982 FIFA World Cup Technical Report|publisher=FIFA Technical Group|year=1982|ref=82tech|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106062858/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/afdeveloping/technicaldevp/50/09/13/fwc%5fspain%5f1982%5fen%5fpart3%5f285.pdf|archive-date=2010-01-06}}
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1958
- IFFHS Brazilian Player of the 20th Century (7th place)[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html IFFHS' Century Elections] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112093950/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html |date=12 January 2016 }}
- IFFHS World Player of the 20th Century (19th place)
- The Best of The Best – Player of the Century: Top 50[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/bestbest.html "The Best of The Best"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126041553/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/bestbest.html |date=26 January 2010 }} Retrieved on 17 November 2015
- Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame
- Ballon d'Or Dream Team (Bronze): 2020{{cite web |title=The other two Ballon d'Or Dream Team XIs: Zidane, Cruyff, Iniesta, Di Stefano... but no Casillas |url=https://www.marca.com/en/football/international-football/2020/12/14/5fd7bc8522601d53598b45b2.html |website=MARCA|date=15 December 2020 |access-date=15 December 2020}}
- IFFHS South America Men's Team of All Time: 2021{{cite web|url=https://www.iffhs.com/posts/1116|title=IFFHS South America Men's Team of All Time}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Waldir Pereira}}
- {{Sambafoot|269_didi}}
- {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206125950/http://www.museudofutebol.org.br/historia/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=168%3Aconheca-os-anjos&catid=56%3Aanjos-barrocos&Itemid=393&lang=pt |date=6 December 2008 |title=Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame (in Portuguese) }}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards
| bg = gold
| fg = navy
| list =
{{1958 FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament}}
{{1959 South American Championship (Argentina) Team of the Tournament}}
{{FIFA World Cup Statistical Summary's Best Player}}
{{South American Team of the 20th Century}}
{{Ballon d'Or Dream Team}}
{{IFFHS Men's South American Team of the 20th Century}}
{{IFFHS All-time Men's South American Dream Team}}
{{Botafogo FR Hall of Fame}}
{{Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame}}
{{Süper Lig winning managers}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title= International tournaments
|list1=
{{Brazil squad 1953 South American Championship}}
{{Brazil squad 1954 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Brazil squad 1957 South American Championship}}
{{Brazil squad 1958 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Brazil squad 1959 South American Championship (Argentina)}}
{{Brazil squad 1962 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Peru squad 1970 FIFA World Cup}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Managerial positions
|list1=
{{Sporting Cristal managers}}
{{Peru national football team managers}}
{{River Plate managers}}
{{Fenerbahçe SK managers}}
{{Fluminense Football Club managers}}
{{Al-Ahli Saudi FC managers}}
{{Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas managers}}
{{Cruzeiro Esporte Clube managers}}
{{Fortaleza Esporte Clube managers}}
{{São Paulo FC managers}}
{{Alianza Lima managers}}
{{Bangu Atlético Clube managers}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Didi}}
Category:1954 FIFA World Cup players
Category:1958 FIFA World Cup players
Category:1962 FIFA World Cup players
Category:1970 FIFA World Cup managers
Category:Afro-Brazilian sportspeople
Category:FIFA World Cup–winning players
Category:Al-Ahli Saudi FC managers
Category:Al Shabab FC (Riyadh) managers
Category:Club Alianza Lima managers
Category:Men's association football inside forwards
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Bangu Atlético Clube managers
Category:Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas managers
Category:Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas players
Category:Brazil men's international footballers
Category:Brazilian expatriate football managers
Category:Brazilian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Argentina
Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Peru
Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Category:Brazilian football managers
Category:Brazilian men's footballers
Category:Cruzeiro Esporte Clube managers
Category:Deaths from pneumonia in Rio de Janeiro (state)
Category:Expatriate football managers in Argentina
Category:Expatriate football managers in Peru
Category:Expatriate football managers in Saudi Arabia
Category:Expatriate football managers in Turkey
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Peru
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
Category:Fenerbahçe S.K. (football) managers
Category:Fluminense FC managers
Category:Fluminense FC players
Category:Fortaleza Esporte Clube managers
Category:Madureira Esporte Clube players
Category:Footballers from Campos dos Goytacazes
Category:Peru national football team managers
Category:Real Madrid CF players
Category:Club Atlético River Plate managers
Category:São Paulo state football team players
Category:Saudi Pro League managers
Category:Sporting Cristal footballers
Category:Sporting Cristal managers
Category:Footballers from Rio de Janeiro (state)