Captain of the 4th World Cup title, Dunga turns 60

He also coached the Brazilian National Team

Josué Seixas

2023-10-31 11:45:08

Image Credits: © (Courtesy)

One of the protagonists of the Brazilian National Team’s four-time world championship campaign, in 1994, in the USA, with his leadership on the field and his unique, tireless style, excellent in tackling and with extreme ease in making medium and long distance throws, Dunga has his name eternalized among the great highlights of Brazilian football.

This Tuesday, Dunga turns 60 years old and his stories, notably for the Brazilian team, fill millions of fans spread across all corners of the planet with pride.

Born in Ijuí (Rio Grande do Sul), Dunga emerged as a midfielder at Internacional in 1983. Afterwards, he had important spells at Corinthians, Santos and Vasco. In 1987, he transferred to Italian football. He played for Pisa, Fiorentina, where he helped the team reach the Champions League final in the 1989/1990 season, and Pescara. He also played in German and Japanese football. In 2000, he ended his athletic career at Internacional.

Over these years, Dunga served for the Brazilian National Team in 91 games (from 1987 to 1998), during which time he won two editions of the Copa América (1989 and 1997) and the Confederations Cup (1997), in addition to the 1994 World Cup. He scored six goals for the team in total. He was also a starter at the 1990 and 1998 World Cups.

In July 2006, Dunga was appointed as the new coach of the Brazilian national team, replacing Carlos Alberto Parreira. He worked the entire cycle until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. On the sidelines of the field, he won the 2007 Copa América and 2009 Confederations Cup titles. He left his position after the competition in South Africa.

He would return to the national team in July 2014. He would remain in the position until June 2016. In the two times he managed the Brazilian team, Dunga led the team in 86 matches, obtaining 60 wins and 17 draws. He suffered only nine defeats.