Francisco Rodrigues (Brazilian footballer)

Francisco Rodrigues (27 June 1925 – 30 October 1988) was a former Brazilian football player. He has played for Brazil national team. He was a fast winger and noted for his great dribbling and technical ability to beat opposition players with success and he was a great goalscorer. He stood out for being a skillful footballer, with great speed and an exquisite left foot. Regarded as one of the  best Brazilian strikers of the 1950s.

Club career

He began his football career at the Ypiranga São Paulo club, where he played from 1942–1945. In 1945 he moved to Fluminense FC. He played for the Rio de Janeiro club until 1950. During this period, he won the Rio de Janeiro State Championship - Campeonato Carioca in 1946. In 1950, he moved to SE Palmeiras, where he played until 1954. With Palmeiras São, he won the São Paulo State Championship - Campeonato Paulista in 1950. In 1954 he moved to Botafogo FR, where he played until 1956, then returned to Palmeiras. From Palmeiras he went to local rivals Juventus where he played in 1957. He spent 1958 at Paulista Jundiaí, from where he returned to Juventus in 1959. He ended his career with Argentina's Rosario Central in 1961.

International career

Francisco Rodrigues made his debut for Brazil on May 7, 1950 against Paraguay. A month later, he was part of the squad at the 1950 FIFA World Cup, where Brazil finished runners-up, but did not play in any matches. In 1952 he won the Pan American Championship with Brazil, and in 1953 he played at the 1953 Copa América, where Brazil finished second. In 1954, he again went with the national team to the World Cup 1954, where he appeared in group matches against Yugoslavia and Mexico. The last time in the colors of the Canarinhos appeared on September 20, 1955 in a match against the Chilean national team. In total, he made 18 appearances for the national team and scored 5 goals.

Death
He died on October 30, 1988 at the age of 63 in the city of Sao Paulo.

Honours

Palmeiras

Copa Rio: 1951
Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 1951
Campeonato Paulista: 1950
Taça Cidade de São Paulo: 1950, 1951

Fluminense

Campeonato Carioca: 1946
Torneio Municipal: 1948
Taça Departamento de Imprensa Esportiva: 1948 
Taça Embajada de Brasil: 1950 
Taça Comite Nacional de Deportes: 1950 
Taça General Manuel A. Odria: 1950 

Brazil
Panamerican Championship: 1952
FIFA World Cup Runner-up: 1950
South American Championship Runner-up: 1953
Copa Rio Branco: 1950
Taça Oswaldo Cruz: 1950, 1955
O'Higgins Cup: 1955

References

Category:1925 births
Category:1988 deaths
Category:Footballers from São Paulo