his Monday afternoon , Botafogo will face an opponent they have never faced in official matches . At 4pm (Brasília time), the Alvinegro will face Atlético de Madrid in the third round of the Club World Cup , aiming to qualify for the round of 16. But did you know that the two clubs have already faced each other before, and one match featured Didi, Nilton Santos, Garrincha, Zagallo and Quarentinha against Vavá and Puskás?
The history of the match includes three friendly matches, with one win for each side and one draw. This first came in 1955 - at the time, it was common for Botafogo to organize tours abroad in order to raise funds. The Alvinegro was winning against Atlético de Madrid 3-2 until a goal by Escudero, the third highest scorer in Atlético's history , equalized the score in the final minutes.
The ten-goal duel came four years later, in 1959, with a 6-4 victory for the black and white team. On Botafogo's side were the 1958 world champions Nilton Santos, Didi, Garrincha and Zagallo, as well as top scorer Quarentinha. On the Spanish side, Vavá and Puskás - the Hungarian belonged to Real Madrid, but was loaned to Atlético to increase the appeal and revenue of the friendly.
Didi, who would move to Spanish football later that year, opened the scoring in the 18th minute; his performance was described as "a show by Didi for Real (his future club) to see". Zagallo extended the lead, but Vavá and Hollaus scored for Atlético de Madrid, levelling the scores. The first half ended 4-2 for Alvinegro, with the other goals scored by Quarentinha.
Right at the start of the second half, three minutes in, Puskás scored his first goal at the Metropolitano, in front of around 50,000 people. Zagallo, Puskás and Didi gave the final score to the match.
— In the black and white team from Rio, we can highlight Garrincha, Didi and Zagallo, three true aces of the ball, while Puskás, Vavá and Hollaus were worth the price of the stands. After the game, the audience applauded the two players, who did a lap of honor before heading back to their dressing rooms. It was a beautiful spectacle — points out the column in Jornal dos Sports on June 25, 1959.
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Excerpt from the chronicle of Atlético de Madrid 4 x 6 Botafogo, in 1959 — Photo: Reproduction/Jornal dos Sports
After that, Botafogo and Atlético de Madrid only faced each other again in 1985, in the friendly tournament Trofeo Colombino, organized by Recreativo de Huelva. This time, the Colchoneros came out on top: a 4-2 victory.
In 2025...
On Monday, Botafogo and Atlético de Madrid will take to the field with their sights set on a place in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup. Coach Renato Paiva is expected to keep the team that beat PSG, highlighting that he has "100% respect and zero fear" for the Colchoneros .
To advance to the knockout stages without depending on the results of Seattle Sounders vs. PSG, the Alvinegro team can lose by up to two goals in the Rose Bowl. See the scenarios required for all World Cup teams here.
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