DIDI

Date Of Birth : 8 October 1929
Position : Central Midfielder
Nation : Brazil
Height : 174 cm
Major Club : Botafogo
Caps : 68 Games (20 Goals)
World Cup Participation : 1954, 1958, 1962 (15 Games)
Club Honours : 4 Times Campeonato Carioca
International Honours : 2 Times FIFA World Cup Winners (1958, 1962)
3 Times Copa America Runner-Up (1953, 1957, 1959)
1952 Pan American Games
Individual Achievement : 1958 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball
1958 FIFA World Cup All Star Team
Brazil Football Museum Hall Of Fame

Valdir Pereira “Didi” is considered to be one of the greatest midfielder ever. He had incredibly accurate passing, ball controlling, vision, great stamina and strength. He played as holding creative midfielder and created many of assists to Brazil’s strikers and scored a lot of goals by his own. Didi is credited as the inventor of the unpredictable “Dry Leaf” or “Banana” free-kick technique, where the ball would swerve seemingly downwards at the right time resulting in a goal. Despite his great reputation after the 1958 World Cup which he won player of the tournament, He moved to Real Madrid and played only 19 matches for the Spaniards and often clashed with the team leader Alfredo Di Stéfano, who felt offended by the divide in the fan’s attention with this newcomer; this situation precipitated his exit from the club. Didi was voted 20th World’s player of century by IFFHS’s poll.