DOMINGOS da GUIA

One of Brazil's finest players of the pre-war era, Domingos da Guia was also one of the greatest defenders ever to come out of his country. Beginning his career as a teenager with Bangu, he made his international debut against Uruguay aged just 19 and soon moved to Uruguay to play for Nacional, winning the league title in 1933. The following year he returned to Brazil with Vasco da Gama, helping the club to the Rio State title in 1934.

In 1935 Domingos moved on the Boca Juniors in Argentina, where he won a league title in his first season, before again returning to Brazil to join Flamengo. In 1938, he appeared in the World Cup finals for the only time, and game to global attention as one of the finest defenders in the game. Brazil beat Poland and Czechoslovakia to reach a semi final with holders Italy, where they were narrowly defeated 2-1 and eventually finished in fourth place.

Having moved between several clubs in the preceding few years, Domingos was now more settled with Flamengo, winning three Rio State titles with the club in 1939, 1942 and 1943. International success would prove elusive however, as in his three appearances in the Copa América the best that Brazil could manage was runners-up in 1945 and 1946. The final game in 1946, which Brazil had to win to take the title but lost 2-0 to hosts Argentina, proved to be his final international appearance.

Domestically, he had moved on to Corinthians in 1943 but further honours were elusive. The club finished as runners-up in the São Paulo State Championship for three years in a row, before Domingos left in 1947 to return to his first club, Bangu. He retired from playing in 1948. His son, Ademir da Guia, later also played for Bangu before becoming a legend with Palmeiras. Domingos da Guia died in 2000, at the age of 87.