Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade (born 25 January 1947), generally known as Tostão (Brazilian Portuguese: [tosˈtɐ̃w̃]), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward or attacking midfielder and was a physician.

Tostão was an intelligent, hardworking and prolific left-footed forward, who was known for his creativity and technical skills, and was considered one of the best players in the world in his prime and arguably the best player in the world in the early 70s alongside Cruyff before health problems forced his early retirement. Tostão was widely considered at the time the second best or even the best Brazilian player in the late 60s alongside Pelé, even ahead of other stars that would be part of the legendary 1970 Brazil squad.

In the 1970 FIFA World Cup, improvised as a forward, Tostão scored two of his 32 goals for Brazil, and assisted four, as the national team won its third trophy, whilst finding the net on 19 occasions. The previous year, after being hit in the face by a ball during a match against Corinthians, he suffered a detached retina from which he never fully recovered. In April 1972, he signed for Vasco da Gama for a then record fee in the country but, after good overall displays, was forced to retire from the game at only 27, after his sight problems resurfaced, despite attempts at corrective surgery.

Weary of football and fame, Tostão became a medical doctor, but ultimately rejoined the footballing world, working as a journalist and pundit on TV and writing for newspapers and magazines.

Style of play

Tostão was, due to his relatively small stature and slender frame, not particularly skilled in the air; in spite of his lack of pace, strong physical attributes, or long-range shooting abilities, however, he was a mobile, intelligent, and hard-working footballer, who stood out throughout his career due to his anticipation and timing in the penalty area, which made him a prolific goalscorer. A predominantly left-footed player, in his prime, he was considered one of the best players in the world, and was known for his technique, balance, and dribbling skills, while also contributing with many assists thanks to his vision, creativity, precise passing and playmaking abilities, as well as his work-rate, which often saw him drop back into midfield in order to retrieve the ball and start attacking plays. Due to his versatility and wide range of skills, he was capable of playing in several attacking and midfield positions including as an attacking midfielder, as a second striker, as a left winger, or even as an out-and-out striker.

Career statistics

International goals

{| class="wikitable sortable" style=

! !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition !!

|-

| 1. || rowspan=2 | 5 June 1966 || rowspan=2 | Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil || rowspan=2 | || align=center | 2–1 || rowspan=2 style="text-align:center"| 4–1 || rowspan=2 | Friendly || rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" |

|-

| 2. || align=center | 3–1

|-

| 3. || 8 June 1966 || Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil || || align=center | 2–0 || align=center | 3–1 || Friendly || style="text-align:center" |

|-

| 8. || 16 June 1968 || Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, West Germany || || align=center | 1–2 || align=center | 1–2 || Friendly || style="text-align:center" |

|-

| 16. || 12 June 1969 || Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil || || align=center | 1–1 || align=center | 2–1 || Friendly || style="text-align:center" |

|-

| 31. || 31 July 1971 || Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina || || align=center | 1–1 || align=center | 2–2 || 1971 Roca Cup || style="text-align:center" |

  • Campeonato Mineiro: 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
  • South American Footballer of the Year: 1971
  • IFFHS Brazilian Player of the 20th Century (5th place)
  • IFFHS South American Player of the 20th Century (13th place)
  • Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame

References

  • International appearances; at RSSSF
  • Legendary Football Players - Tostão