Aldyr Garcia Schlee, a professor who designed the Brazilian soccer team’s signature jersey, now instantly recognizable around the world, died last week at a hospital in Pelotas, Brazil. He was 83.Mr. Schlee was a professor for 30 years at the Federal University of Pelotas and an award-winning journalist and author, but he was best known for the jersey he designed.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino who on Tuesday will be in Uruguay, gave tentative backing to a joint World Cup bid by Argentina and Uruguay on Monday, suggesting the history of the two South American nations made them serious candidates to host the tournament in 2030.
Only three people silenced Maracana: the Pope, Frank Sinatra and me. The comment belongs to Alcides Ghiggia, Uruguay's last member and striker of the team that beat Brazil in the World Football Cup final of 1950 and thus winning the Jules Rimet Cup. It would be Uruguay's second world cup: the first in 1930 when it beat Argentina.
Pele, the only person to win three World Cups as a player, said Brazil will enter next year’s tournament with more humility than when the country last hosted soccer’s greatest event in 1950. On 16 July that year Brazil was shocked 2-1 by Uruguay in the final game at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium in what is considered as a national tragedy by some Brazilians.
Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium, venue for next year's World Cup final and the spiritual home of Brazilian football, has re-opened with an exhibition match despite not being fully finished.