Mané Garrincha: Interesting Facts About The King Of Dribble

Garrincha had an amazing career as a professional footballer and remains one of the best players ever to play the game. The two-time world cup champion was so good that he was nicknamed The King of Dribble.

There are a lot of things people don’t know about Garrincha. However, this write-up covers some of the amazing facts about the player.

Manuel Francisco dos Santos was born on October 28, 1933, in Pau Grande. He was well-known as Mané Garrincha. He passed away on January 20, 1983.

The Brazilian played for his country and spent most of his professional career at Botafogo. Garrincha’s outstanding performances, and for being instrumental to the victory Brazil got at the world cup in 1958 and 1962, earned him the respect of so many Brazilians. In fact, many believe he played better than Pele. One of the interesting moments of his football career was when he won the Golden ball and got the golden boot, all in a single tournament.  

Although the Brazilian star spent most of his career at Botafogo, he also spent some time playing for other clubs like Corinthians, Atlético Junior and ended his professional career at Olaria.

However, a deep check into his life showed Garrincha was a different person off the field. He got himself into a lot of controversies that nearly ruined his reputation. The media described him as a womanizer and a drunkard. There was a story that he had a child with one of his mistresses while playing at Botafogo.

Unfortunately, Garrincha’s drunkenness took a serious toll on his health. He suffered a condition known as cirrhosis of the liver which later took his life.