Brazil's first FIFA World Cup winning captain Bellini dies

Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini, the captain of Brazil’s first World Cup-winning team, died on Thursday aged 83 after a long illness

Rio de Janeiro: Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini, the captain of Brazil’s first World Cup-winning team, died on Thursday aged 83 after a long illness, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said.

Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini

The central defender, who had been battling Alzheimer’s for a decade, died in a Sao Paulo hospital three years after he suffered a stroke which left him unable to speak.

The CBF declared three days of mourning in honor of Bellini, who was buried yesterday in his home city of Itapira, in Sao Paulo state. He won 51 caps for his country.

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