Tostão
Second Striker / Attacking Midfielder · Cruzeiro · Brazil
About Tostão
Tostão is the player who made Pelé's Brazil possible at the 1970 World Cup — the small, elegant second striker whose dribbling, link play, and intelligent movement created the spaces that Pelé, Jairzinho, and Rivelino exploited. He suffered a detached retina before the tournament and flew to Houston for surgery — returning to play 9 months later and winning the World Cup. He retired at 26 due to the eye condition, one of football's most premature endings.
Tostão's story
The Eye
In December 1969, six months before the World Cup, Tostão was struck in the eye by a ball during training. He suffered a detached retina. His career — potentially his sight — was in jeopardy. He flew to Houston, Texas, for surgery by the most advanced ophthalmological team available. The surgery worked. He returned to training 9 months later, made Brazil's World Cup squad, and was one of their best players at Mexico 1970. He retired at 26 because doctors advised that another blow could cost him his sight permanently.
Pelé's Partner
Pelé has said that Tostão was his most important playing partner — more important than any forward he played alongside, more important than any midfielder who supplied him. The combination of Tostão's low, dribbling, link-play style and Pelé's explosive goalscoring ability produced the most effective forward partnership at the 1970 World Cup. Without Tostão, Pelé would have been marked out of the tournament. With him, Pelé scored in every game.
The Doctor
After retiring from football, Tostão became an ophthalmologist — the speciality most directly connected to the injury that ended his career. He is now also a respected football journalist and analyst in Brazil. He represents football's most complete post-career reinvention: from the player who made Pelé possible to the doctor and writer who makes football comprehensible.
Did you know?
- 👁️ He suffered a detached retina six months before the 1970 World Cup, had surgery in Houston, returned to play 9 months later, won the World Cup, then retired at 26 — because another blow could have cost him his sight.
- 🤝 Pelé named him his most important playing partner — above any other teammate from any era — recognising that Tostão's intelligent movement and link play created the conditions for Pelé to score in every World Cup game.
- 🌍 He was named in FIFA's 100 greatest living footballers in 2004 — reflecting his status, despite a career of only 10 professional seasons, as one of the definitive players of the 20th century's greatest team.
- 📊 He scored 30 goals in 54 international appearances for Brazil — a rate of 0.56 per game from a second-striker position — reflecting that his creative play produced scoring opportunities he also frequently finished.
- 🌟 João Saldanha, Brazil's manager before the 1970 World Cup, said: "Tostão is the key. With him, Pelé has space. Without him, Pelé has five men marking him. It is that simple."
- 🩺 He became an ophthalmologist after retiring — specialising in the exact field most connected to the injury that ended his playing career — and is now also one of Brazil's most respected football analysts and columnists.
- ⚽ His 228 goals for Cruzeiro across eight seasons are the club's all-time record — achieved before the age of 26, making him potentially the greatest Brazilian striker who might have been if injury had not intervened.
- 💔 He is football's most complete "what if" — retiring at 26, at the peak of his powers, while still the best second striker in the world. A career that lasted only 10 years produced a legacy that has lasted 50.
- 🏡 He was born and played his entire club career in Minas Gerais — a state that has produced relatively few international stars — making him Minas Gerais's greatest footballer, a title that simultaneously understates and defines his importance.
Honours
- FIFA World Cup: Brazil (1970)
- Campeonato Mineiro x5: Cruzeiro — multiple titles
- Copa do Brasil (Copa Libertadores): Cruzeiro
- FIFA 100: Named one of the greatest living footballers by Pelé (2004)
- Partner of Pelé: Pelé named him his most important playing partner — above any other teammate
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