Leônidas

Leônidas started his career at São Cristóvão. He then played for Carioca side Sírio e Libanez, where he was coached by Gentil Cardoso. When Cardoso left to coach Bonsucesso, he brought Leônidas with him. Between 1931 and 1932, he played for Bonsucesso before joining Peñarol in Uruguay in 1933. After one year, Leônidas returned to Brazil to play for Vasco da Gama. He helped them win the Rio State Championship. After playing in the 1934 World Cup, he joined Botafogo and won another Rio State Championship in 1935. The following year, he joined Flamengo, where he stayed until 1941. Once again, in 1939, the team won the Rio State Championship. He was also at the forefront of the movement against prejudice in football, being one of the first black players to join the then-elitist Flamengo team. Leônidas joined São Paulo in 1942 and stayed at the club until his retirement from playing in 1950.

Bicycle kick

Leônidas is one of several possible players credited for inventing the "Bicycle kick". The first time Leônidas used this technique was on 24 April 1932, in a match between Bonsucesso and Carioca. In Flamengo he used this move only once, in 1939, against the Argentinian team Independiente. The unusual volley gained huge fame at the time, propelling it into the football mainstream. For São Paulo, Leônidas used the bicycle kick on two occasions: the first on 14 June 1942 in the defeat against Palestra Italia (currently Palmeiras). Most famously of all, he used it on 13…

Leônidas played 19 times for the Brazil national team between 1932 and 1946, scoring 21 goals in total, and scoring twice on his debut. In 1938, he was the World Cup's top scorer with 7 goals, scoring at least three times in the 6–5 extra time win over Poland. Nevertheless, his performance also made him be frequently fouled by the Poles. For the next match, against Czechoslovakia, he was not in the ideal conditions, but the Brazilian staff, concerned for possible punishment in using Niginho in Leônidas place, preferred to keep Leônidas in the team; the Italian Football Federation had warned FIFA about Niginho's irregular condition: this player, who had Italian citizenship, was still legally attached to Lazio, the club he left without permission in 1936, due to fear of being recruited by the Italian Army to the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Leônidas managed to score against the Czechs, but his injuries got worse, making him definitely unable to be used in the next game – the semifinal against Italy. Brazil lost the match 2–1 and for many years the coach Adhemar Pimenta was criticized as many fans, not aware of Lêonidas true poor conditions, believed his absence was just an option arrogantly made by Pimenta "to rest the player for the final". This version still circulates, despite the fact that Leônidas had written a letter, which was published by certain newspapers at the time, in which he clarified that Pimenta had no choice but to rest him due to the Niginho affair. The…

At the height of his career, Leônidas was very popular amongst the people of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. In the 1930s and 1940s, Leônidas was a celebrity against the backdrop of controversy and racial discrimination looming within Brazil during this time. Leônidas had a major impact on and off the field because of his ability to relate to the working classes of Brazil, and his humble beginnings and racial representation led to this national popularity. When his team won the Brazilian Club Championship in 1931, the people of Rio de Janeiro greeted Leônidas and his team in the streets of the city with cheerful crowds dancing and celebrating their victory. Historically, Leônidas is well known for his contributions to the relationship between consumerism and the business side of football within the country of Brazil. In the year 1938, Leônidas especially gained massive popularity after his appearance in the World Cup tournament and it was around this time he started to receive numerous advertisement offers, such as for watches and cigarettes. His willingness to participate in interviews and being a constant within the public eye helped his fans feel personally connected to Leônidas. Later that same year, a voting popularity contest was held including Leônidas and he received 249,080 votes in his favor, thus winning the contest. During the 1938 World Cup, Leônidas was nicknamed "Black Diamond" (Diamante Negro). In the next year, Brazilian chocolate manufacturer Lacta purchased…

Vasco da Gama

Campeonato Carioca: 1934 Botafogo

Campeonato Carioca: 1935 Flamengo

Campeonato Carioca: 1939 Torneio Rio–São Paulo: 1940 São Paulo

Campeonato Paulista: 1943, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949 Rio de Janeiro State Team

Campeonato Brasileiro de Seleções Estaduais: 1931, 1938, 1940 São Paulo State Team

Campeonato Brasileiro de Seleções Estaduais: 1942 Brazil

FIFA World Cup: third-place 1938 Copa América runner-up: 1946 Individual

FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1938 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1938 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1938 IFFHS Brazilian Player of the 20th Century (8th place)