Whenever Socrates walked out onto the pitch, all eyes were on the man they called “Doctor.”
As well as being a ludicrously talented footballer – his mesmerizing technical ability, power and rangy legs making him a marvel to watch – he was also an exceptionally intelligent man, earning a medical degree from the University of São Paulo earlier in his career.
He was also captain of the Brazil team at the 1982 World Cup, long before cable television and streaming made every football match and player compilation readily available. National teams and their star players would be shrouded in mystery when arriving at a World Cup, with A Seleçao and its stars possessing an almost mystical quality.
When Brazil stepped out onto the pitch for its first match of Spain 1982 against the USSR, resplendent in that famous canary yellow and blue kit, few fans knew what to expect.
After 90 minutes, however, they were mesmerized by what they had seen – and Socrates, the team’s captain, brain and heartbeat, was at the center of it all.
“We were all very, very optimistic about what would happen at that World Cup,” Juca Kfouri, one of Brazil’s most decorated commentators, told CNN Sport. “Because they were exceptional players, each one with their own characteristic, their personalities were very, very strong and they were kind, captivating and seductive.”