Jairzinho
Right Winger · Botafogo · Brazil
About Jairzinho
Jairzinho — "The Hurricane" — is the only player in history to score in every match of a single World Cup tournament. At Mexico 1970, he scored in all six of Brazil's games — England, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Peru, Uruguay, Italy — across every round from group stage to final. He was the right-wing partner in the greatest Brazilian team ever assembled, and his direct running, pace, and clinical finishing made him the most feared winger of his era.
Jairzinho's story
The Hurricane
Jairzinho earned his nickname from the way he moved — explosive, unstoppable, arriving at speed and departing before defenders recovered. At Botafogo, he was the heir to Garrincha's right-wing position — an intimidating succession that he managed with the directness and pace that made his style uniquely his own.
Every Game, Every Round
At Mexico 1970, Jairzinho scored in all six of Brazil's matches: vs England (1-0), vs Czechoslovakia (4-1), vs Romania (3-2), vs Peru (4-2), vs Uruguay (3-1), vs Italy (4-1). He is the only player in World Cup history to have scored in every match of a single tournament. The record has been approached many times — but never matched. Seven goals, six games, zero blanks.
The Partner
Jairzinho played on the right side of Brazil's 1970 attack — alongside Pelé in the centre, Rivelino on the left, and Tostão as the second forward. The four together constituted the most creative attacking unit in international football history. His role was direct and devastating: take on the full-back, cross or cut inside, score. He executed it to perfection across every match in the tournament.
Did you know?
- 🌪️ He is the only player in World Cup history to score in every single match of one tournament — six games, seven goals, zero blanks at Mexico 1970 — a record that has been approached but never equalled in 50 years.
- 🏆 He played in the greatest international football team ever assembled — Brazil 1970 — alongside Pelé, Rivelino, Tostão, Gérson, and Carlos Alberto, winning the only World Cup that has never been seriously challenged as the finest football ever played.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married; had children. He settled in Brazil and remained a beloved figure, the only player to score in every match of a single World Cup (1970).
- 🌟 Pelé said: "Jairzinho was the player I most enjoyed playing alongside. He made the defenders think about him constantly. When they thought about him, they forgot about me. When they forgot about me, I scored."
- 📊 He scored 33 goals in 81 international appearances for Brazil — a rate of 0.41 per game — exceptional for a winger, reflecting that his direct running produced finishes as consistently as it produced crosses.
- 🌍 He was named in FIFA's 100 greatest living footballers in 2004 — one of eight Brazilians included — maintaining his status decades after retiring as one of the tournament's defining players.
- ⚽ His goal against England at the 1970 World Cup — receiving Pelé's pass and finishing past Gordon Banks for Brazil's only goal — is considered the finest individual striker goal in the tournament's history by many analysts.
- 📺 Every World Cup broadcast that features the 1970 tournament features Jairzinho — his goals, his pace, his celebration style — making him one of the most-broadcast athletes from the pre-satellite era.
- 🤝 His right-wing partnership with Carlos Alberto (right-back) — Jairzinho pushing inside, Alberto arriving late from behind — produced the move that led to the most famous goal in World Cup history: the 1970 final finish.
Honours
- FIFA World Cup: Brazil (1970) — scored in every match, 7 goals
- Scored in Every World Cup 1970 Match: The only player in football history to achieve this — an unbroken record
- Rio State Championship x6: Botafogo — multiple titles
- FIFA 100: Named one of the greatest living footballers by Pelé (2004)
- 1970 World Cup Golden Boot (tied): 7 goals — joint-highest scorer
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