Obdulio 'El Negro' Varela Top Uruguay Footballer ~ Top Greatest Player Football

Obdulio Jacinto Muiños Varela (September 20, 1917 — August 2, 1996) was an Uruguayan football player. He was the captain of the Uruguay national team that won the 1950 World Cup after beating Brazil in the decisive final round match popularly known as the Maracanazo. He was Nicknamed El Negro Jefe (The Black Chief), due to his dark skin and the influence he had on the pitch, and especially after the unlikely victory over Brazil. People recall Varela as one of the greatest classic centre halves, a midfield player equally adept in defence as in creating scoring chances.(Wikipedia)

That win is recalled as a miracle and made Obdulio Varela immortal in the eyes of the Uruguayan people. In 1940, 1946 and 1948, the Uruguayan team led by him had won the Baron de Rio Branco Cup and his club team Peñarol had won the Uruguayan league championship on six occasions. He was 37 when the national team travelled to Switzerland to defend their title in 1954. Varela was then the oldest ever player to have appeared in a World Cup, but that didn’t affect his game. Czechoslovakia and Scotland were beaten comfortably in the first round before Uruguay also beat England 4-2 in the quarterfinal when Varela picked up a leg injury. There were no substitutions back then so he had to play the full 90 minutes heavily bandaged.
Varela and two other key players did not get fit for the semifinal against Hungary which Uruguay lost 4-2 after extra time. Obdulio ended his World Cup career unbeaten in seven matches and many people believe a full strength Uruguay team would have beaten the magic Hungarians. A natural, street-wise and self-made man, he made the most of what he had and became a soccer legend and one of the best captains in the sport ever. (planetworldcup.com)

Obdulio 'El Negro' Varela Top Uruguay Footballer