Hilderaldo Bellini

Hilderaldo Bellini

200x300px Bellini in 2008.
Personal information
Full name	Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini
Date of birth	(1930-06-07)7 June 1930
Place of birth	Itapira, Brazil
Date of death
Place of death	São Paulo, Brazil
Height
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1952–1961	Vasco da Gama	430	(?)
1962–1967	São Paulo	205	(1)
1968–1969	Atlético Paranaense
International career
1957–1966	Brazil	51	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini (7 June 1930 – 20 March 2014) was a Brazilian footballer of Italian origin who played and was known in Brazil as one of the most solid central defender.

Biography

During his career he played for Vasco da Gama, São Paulo FC and Atlético Paranaense, and he was the first Brazilian to lift the World Cup in 1958, in fact, He won another World Cup in 1962 and participated also at 1966 FIFA World Cup as the team captain again.

File:Estátua do Bellini2.jpg

Statue of Bellini at the entrance of Maracanã

He was honored with a statue at the entrance of Maracanã, which depicts him lifting the trophy. At the end of his international career from 1957 to 1966 with Brazil he earned a total of 51 caps being the captain during the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden.

Bellini is credited with starting the tradition of lifting the trophy into the air in football. He initially did this so that photographers could have a better view of the trophy and, as the photos were published around the world, the gesture became associated with victory.

Bellini died on 20 March 2014, aged 83, in São Paulo, due to complications caused by Alzheimer's disease culminating with cardiac arrest.

Honours

Club

Vasco da Gama

• Campeonato Carioca: 1952, 1956, 1958
• Torneio Octogonal Rivadavia Corrêa Meyer: 1953
• Torneio Rio – São Paulo: 1958

Country

Brazil

• FIFA World Cup: 1958

Individual

• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1958