Coutinho

Coutinho debuted on Santos' professional team on May 17, 1958, still at the age of 14, in a match in Goiânia, against Sírio Libanês Futebol Clube. Coincidentally, the score was the same as the debut of his legendary partner Pelé, which had happened almost two years before: a 7–1 victory for Santos. And, like Pelé, Coutinho also scored one of Peixe's goals in his first match for the club's adult squad.

In a game at the Olympic Stadium, journalists and people at the stadium reported seeing one of the most beautiful goals in the history of football. Pelé received the ball in the midfield on his head and quickly passed it to Coutinho, who also with his head, gave it back to Pelé. And after a few more head-only passes the attacking players approached the opponent's box, without the ball touching the pitch. In the final moment, with only the goalkeeper in front of him, Coutinho could have finished the amazing combination himself with a goal, but he saw Lima coming from behind and adjusted to pass, once again with his head, and allowed Lima to score. This goal left the opponents Grêmio fans standing up, applauding a majestic goal combination between two maestros of the ball. Coutinho, in addition to resembling Pelé with his style of playing, also had physical characteristics similar to Pele. Therefore, a legend arose that the player started to wear a white ribbon on one of the arms, to help distinguish them. Regarding this urban legend, Coutinho said this: "For a short while,…

Coutinho made his first match for the Brazil national team in Uruguay, against the home team. He was only just 17 years old and was the starter in that match valid for the Atlantic Cup. At the international level, Coutinho earned 15 caps and scored 6 goals with the Brazil national football team between 1960 and 1965. He was meant to be a starter in the 1962 FIFA World Cup squad, but he was sidelined by injury just before the tournament and did not appear, even though he remained in the squad. Brazil went on to win the title. In his book, Coutinho, o Gênio da Área, Carlos Fernando Schinner states that João Saldanha tried to convince Coutinho to return to Brazil national football team few months prior to the 1970 FIFA World Cup in order to replace Tostão who was Brazil's main centre-forward at that time and had suffered a major injury putting in doubt his participation on that World Cup. Coutinho, who at that time was semi-retired and overweight, refused the invitation.

Club

Santos FC Taça Brasil: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 Copa Libertadores: 1962, 1963 Intercontinental Cup: 1962, 1963 Campeonato Paulista: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967 Torneio Rio–São Paulo: 1959, 1963, 1964, 1966 Torneio de Paris: 1960, 1961 Taça das Américas: 1963 Torneio Pentagonal do México: 1959 Taça Tereza Herrera (Espanha): 1959 Torneio de Valência (Espanha): 1959 Torneio Dr. Mario Echandi (Costa Rica): 1959 Torneio Giallorosso (Itália): 1960 Quadrangular de Lima (Peru): 1960 Torneio Itália 1961 (Itália): 1961 Torneio Internacional da Costa Rica (Costa Rica): 1961 Pentagonal de Guadalajara (México): 1961 Torneio Internacional da Venezuela (Venezuela): 1965 Hexagonal do Chile (Chile): 1965 Torneio de Nova York (Estados Unidos): 1966

International

Brazil FIFA World Cup: 1962 Taça do Atlântico: 1960 Copa Roca: 1963 Copa Bernardo O'Higgins: 1961 Taça Oswaldo Cruz: 1961, 1962

Individual

Copa Libertadores Top Scorer: 1962 1961 Taça Oswaldo Cruz (3 goals) 1961 Torneio Rio–São Paulo Top Scorer (9 goals) 1962 Campeonato Brasileiro Top Scorer (7 goals) 1964 Torneio Rio–São Paulo Top Scorer (11 goals) Notes