Nelinho was one of the greatest right-backs in the history of Brazilian football, celebrated for his powerful shot and his free kick shots with effect, known as 'dry leaf'. Trained at Fluminense, he shone mainly in the shirts of Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro. At Cruzeiro, he was a key player in the team that won the 1976 Copa Libertadores, the club's first. Even playing as a defender, he scored more than a hundred goals in his career, many of them from free kicks or long-distance shots. For the Brazilian National Team, he played in the World Cups of 1974 and 1978. At the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, he scored one of the most famous goals in World Cup history: a shot with an impressive curve against Italy, in the 2-1 victory that guaranteed third place for Brazil.
Nelinho
Nelinho was one of the greatest right-backs in the history of Brazilian football, celebrated for his powerful shot and his free kick shots with effect, known as 'dry leaf'. Trained at Fluminense, he shone mainly in the shirts of Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro. At Cruzeiro, he was a key player in the team that won the 1976 Copa Libertadores, the club's first. Even playing as a defender, he scored more than a hundred goals in his career, many of them from free kicks or long-distance shots. For the Brazilian National Team, he played in the World Cups of 1974 and 1978. At the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, he scored one of the most famous goals in World Cup history: a shot with an impressive curve against Italy, in the 2-1 victory that guaranteed third place for Brazil.