LEONIDAS

	REAL NAME:  LEONIDAS DA SILVA BORN:  NOV. 11, 1910 COUNTRY: Brazil WORLD CUP APPEARANCES:  2 tournaments ('34, '38) CLUBS: Havanesa, Barroso, Sui Americano, Sirio Libanes, Bomsucesso, Nacional, Vasco da Gama, Sao Paulo INTRODUCTION: Top-scorer of the 1938 World Cup CAREER INTERNATIONAL GOALS: 22 in 23 games.

With Leonidas and defender Domingos leading the team, Brazil reached the semi-final for the first time. However, an over-confident Brazilian coach rested Leonidas for the game against Italy, the defending champions.  And without Leonidas, Brazil lost to a resilient Italian team, who went on to retain the World Cup trophy. Leonidas is most famous for inventing bicicleta, the bicycle kick, which he brought to Europe in the World Cup in France. Leonidas also played in 1934 World Cup but it was in 1938 he made his name on the international scene.   He scored 6 goals in 3 games, four came in one game against Poland.

STAR FORWARD Leonidas (left) in action during the 1938 World Cup

With Leonidas and defender Domingos leading the team, Brazil reached the semi-final for the first time. However, an over-confident Brazilian coach rested Leonidas for the game against Italy, the defending champions.  And without Leonidas, Brazil lost to a resilient Italian team, who went on to retain the World Cup trophy.

HIS GOALS IN THE WORLD CUP - COMPLETE RECORD

1934
1st round	v. Spain
1938
1st round	v. Poland (4)
2nd round	v. Czechoslovakia
2nd round (replay)	v. Czechoslovakia