Didi

Valdir Pereira was born in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro state. Surviving a severe knee infection at age fourteen that nearly required amputation of his leg, Didi began his career with Madureira before moving to Fluminense in 1949 and later Botafogo in 1956. Playwright Nelson Rodrigues famously dubbed Didi 'The Ethiopian Prince' for his aristocratic posture, elegant chest-out stride, and effortless command of the pitch.

Didi is renowned as the inventor of the 'folha seca' (falling leaf)—a free-kick struck with the outside of the foot that traveled high before dipping abruptly into the net. In April 1957, Didi utilized this technique to score the decisive qualifying goal against Peru that sent Brazil to the 1958 World Cup.

At the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, Didi was the supreme conductor of Brazil's team. When Brazil conceded an early goal to Sweden in the final, Didi calmly retrieved the ball from the net and walked slowly to the center circle, famously telling his young teammates: 'Calm down, we are still better than them.' Leading Brazil to a 5-2 victory, he was named Best Player of the Tournament. As coach in 1970, Didi led Peru to the World Cup quarter-finals, cementing his reputation as one of South America's greatest football intellectuals.