Hilderaldo Bellini

Hilderaldo Bellini
	Bellini in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini
Date of birth	7 June 1930
Place of birth	Itapira, Brazil
Date of death	20 March 2014 (aged 83)
Place of death	São Paulo, Brazil
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team
1952–1961	Vasco da Gama
1962–1967	São Paulo
1968–1969	Atlético Paranaense
International career
1957–1966	Brazil
Medal record
Men's Football
Representing Brazil
FIFA World Cup
South American Championship
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini (7 June 1930 – 20 March 2014) was a Brazilian footballer of Italian origin who played as a defender and was known in Brazil as one of the nation's greatest central defenders ever.

Biography

During his career he played for Vasco da Gama, São Paulo FC and Atlético Paranaense, and he was the first Brazilian to lift the World Cup in 1958. He won another World Cup in 1962 and participated also at 1966 FIFA World Cup as the team captain again.^[1]

Statue of Bellini at the entrance of Maracanã

He was honored with a statue at the entrance of the Maracanã stadium, which depicts him lifting the 1958 World Cup trophy. At the end of his international career from 1957 to 1966 with Brazil he earned a total of 51 caps^[2] being the captain during the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden.

Bellini is credited with starting the tradition of lifting the trophy into the air in football. He initially did this so that photographers could have a better view of the trophy and, as the photos were published around the world, the gesture became associated with victory.

Bellini died on 20 March 2014, aged 83, in São Paulo, due to complications caused by Alzheimer's disease culminating with cardiac arrest.^[3]

Shortly after his death in 2014, Brazilian footballer Bellini was posthumously diagnosed with CTE. Bellini, along with Pelé, Didi and Garrincha, led Brazil to FIFA World Cup victories in 1958 and 1962.^[4]