Alcides Ghiggia told the Telegraph that Brazilians can’t forget him, and he is wishing even more heartbreak on this year’s hosts.
The former Uruguay international hit an assist and the winner when his side beat Brazil 2-1 in the 1950 World Cup final. All these years later, Ghiggia says, he is still well known across the border.
“I was going through customs in Rio and when I showed my passport, the young girl on the desk kept looking at it and up at me. I said: ‘Is everything OK, miss?’ and she said: ‘Are you the Ghiggia?’ I said: ‘Yes, but it was a long time ago.’ And she put her hand to her heart like this and said: ‘No, no, it still hurts us here!'”
The current Uruguay squad had a disastrous start to their 2014 World Cup campaign on Saturday, losing 3-1 to Group D underdogs Costa Rica.
Ghiggia, however, has admitted that it would mean a lot to him to see Liverpool’s Luis Suárez and his teammates cause another shock in Brazil this summer.
“I think I could die happy if Uruguay could win it again,” he said.
