Carlos Alberto

Carlos Alberto, who has died of a heart attack aged 72, captained Brazil to victory in the 1970 World Cup, scoring the most sublime goal in the history of “the beautiful game” when the greatest team to have graced the tournament won the trophy outright.

The seeds of Brazil’s triumph were sown in England in 1966 when the side were outmuscled by European opposition despite their technical superiority. Carlos Alberto, who had made his international debut two years before in a 5-1 drubbing of England at the Maracana, had been unexpectedly omitted from the squad.

The experience toughened him still further and he became such a commanding presence in the dressing room that the new manager, Mário Zagallo, made him captain at 22.

Italy had defeated West Germany 4-3 in extra time in the semi-final, but were simply dismantled by the sorcerers in gold and green. Leading 3-1, Brazil capped their performance with an unforgettable goal. On the edge of the penalty area, Pelé rounded off the eight-man move with a blind pass for the overlapping Carlos Alberto, galloping up from right back, to score with a fulminating shot. Born July 17 1944, died October 25 2016