Nicknamed "Black Pearl" and "Rubber Man", he is considered the greatest Brazilian player before Pele. He scored eight goals at the 1938 World Cup, becoming not only the top scorer of the World Cup, but also the first player in World Cup history to score four goals in a single game. He wore shirts from almost all of Brazil's biggest clubs, and he was the only person of his time who could be compared to President Vargas without causing any controversy.
He is Leonidas, the father of the backlash
Leonidas was born on September 6, 1913 in the San Cristóvão district of Rio de Janeiro, where a generation of superstars Ronaldo was born decades later. He began his career with the local Rio team, playing for three Rio teams, Vasco da Gama, Botafogo and Flamengo, and winning a Rio Championship for each team. In 1941, Leonidas moved to São Paulo, and his transfer amount passed down the record for the sky-high price at that time. At São Paulo, he won the pinnacle of his career, helping the team win the five São Paulo Championships in 1943, 1945, 1946, 1948 and 1949.
Despite his small size, Leonidas was selected for the Brazilian national team 23 times and is known as one of the most outstanding centre-forwards before the World War. Leonidas played in the World Cup twice, being eliminated in the first round in Brazil in 1934 and finishing third in 1938.
At the 1938 World Cup, Brazil scored a thrilling goal battle against Poland in its first match, and Brazil ended up laughing 6:5. Leonidas and Poland's Ernst Wielimowski each scored four goals for their side, but Leonidas scored four goals five minutes earlier than his opponent.
One of Leonidas' 8 goals was a wonderful upside-down golden hook shot, which was rare at the time, and Leonardas was refreshing to the world, so he was also known as the "father of the back hook".
Leonidas announced his retirement in 1950. In 1953, Leonidas returned to São Paulo as head coach. He has since worked as a commentator on radio stations and also ran a furniture store in São Paulo. On January 23, 2004, the day before the 450th anniversary of the founding of São Paulo, Leonidas, who was over 90 years old, died, and the São Paulo Club mourned him for three days.