Zico: the number 10 of Flamengo

Zico was a Brazilian attacking midfielder. When he had the ball, the whole pitch seemed to move at his signal. His full name is Arthur Antunes Coimbra. FIFA describes him as the face of Rio de Janeiro club Flamengo, with a mix of fine technique, rare vision and the ability to turn a match³. He scored 48 goals in 71 matches for Brazil and played in three World Cups². He never won the World Cup, but the Brazil team of 1982 is still remembered⁴.

Early life and beginnings

Zico was born on 3 March 1953 in Quintino, a working-class area of Rio de Janeiro¹. In 1967, aged 14, he scored nine goals in a local match and was given a trial at Flamengo⁴.

In 1971 and 1972 he moved between the youth team and the first team, and then became a permanent member of the first team⁴. Flamengo supporters called him “O Galinho de Quintino”, meaning the Little Rooster of Quintino³.

Club career

Flamengo’s golden era came with Zico. According to FIFA, under his leadership the club won the Brazilian national championship in 1980, 1982 and 1983, and won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in 1981. In the same year, Flamengo beat Liverpool 3-0 in the Intercontinental Cup final³. Wikipedia also counts the 1987 Copa União among his national titles⁴.

In 1983 he joined Udinese of Italy. In his first season there he scored 19 goals in Serie A, one fewer than that year’s top scorer. His second season was ruined by injuries, and in 1985 he returned to Flamengo⁴.

A month after his return, a hard tackle badly injured his knee and he had to undergo several operations. Even so, he was at the forefront of the club’s Copa União win in 1987. In December 1989, in his last official match, against Fluminense, he scored the first goal and Flamengo won 5-0. According to Wikipedia, with 508 goals he is the club’s all-time top scorer⁴.

In 1991 he joined Sumitomo Metals of Japan, then in the second tier and later known as Kashima Antlers. In 1993, in the opening match of the J.League, he scored a hat-trick against Nagoya Grampus, and on 15 June 1994 he scored the last goal of his career⁴.

International career

According to Transfermarkt’s record, Zico’s first match for the Brazil senior team was on 25 February 1976 and his last on 21 June 1986².

Brazil finished third at the 1978 World Cup. In 1982, with team-mates such as Socrates and Falcao, Zico scored four goals, but in the last match of the second round Italy beat Brazil 3-2. In 1986 he played only as a substitute, while injured. In the quarter-final against France he missed a penalty during the match, then scored in the penalty shoot-out, but Brazil went out⁴.

Style of play

Zico was a classic “number 10”. He was right-footed but played equally well with both feet, and was known for ball control, dribbling and accurate passing⁴. FIFA writes that he was not just a scorer of important goals but the leader of Flamengo’s orchestra, creating countless chances for team-mates³.

His greatest trademark was the free kick. He would lift the ball over the wall and drop it sharply, and the goalkeeper found it hard to judge which corner it would go to⁴.

Statistics

These figures were taken on 18 October 2026 from Transfermarkt’s match-by-match record (official matches). The Flamengo record is very incomplete. It does not include matches from 1971–1981 or almost all of Rio’s state league matches, and Sumitomo Metals matches in 1991–1992 are also not listed. The total is therefore not a figure for his whole career¹².

Honours

• Copa Libertadores: 1981 (Flamengo) [3]
• Intercontinental Cup: 1981 (Flamengo) [3]
• Brazilian national championship: 1980, 1982, 1983 [3]; also the 1987 Copa União [4]
• Third place at the World Cup: 1978 [4]
• World Soccer Player of the Year: 1983 [4]
• Included in the FIFA 100 list: 2004 [4]

Legacy

Zico made Flamengo a major power in Brazil and South America. According to FIFA, his deep bond with the fans won him respect not only at the club but across the football world³. His style of taking free kicks inspired later specialists such as Roberto Baggio and Andrea Pirlo. A statue of him stands outside Kashima Stadium. After retiring he went into coaching and led the Japan national team at the 2006 World Cup⁴.