Aldair facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Aldair

Aldair in 2005
Personal information
Full name	Aldair Nascimento dos Santos
Date of birth	(1965-11-30) 30 November 1965 (age 59)
Place of birth	Ilhéus, Brazil
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1985–1989	Flamengo	54	(3)
1989–1990	Benfica	22	(5)
1990–2003	Roma	330	(14)
2003–2004	Genoa	17	(1)
2005	Rio Branco	2	(0)
2007–2009	Murata	10	(0)
Total		435	(23)
International career
1996	Brazil Olympic (O.P.)	6	(0)
1989–2000	Brazil	81	(3)
Medal record Men's Football Representing  Brazil FIFA World Cup Winner 1994 USA {{{3}}} Runner-up 1998 France {{{3}}} FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 1997 Saudi Arabia {{{3}}} Copa América Winner 1989 Brazil {{{3}}} Winner 1997 Bolivia {{{3}}} Runner-up 1995 Uruguay {{{3}}} Olympic Games Bronze 1996 Atlanta Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Aldair Nascimento dos Santos (born 30 November 1965), known simply as Aldair, is a famous Brazilian retired footballer. He played as a centre back. He was a key player for the Brazilian national team that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Many people consider Aldair one of Brazil's best defenders ever. He spent most of his career playing for the Italian club AS Roma. He even became the team's captain and helped them win the Serie A title in 2001. Aldair is also a member of the AS Roma Hall of Fame, which means he is recognized as one of the club's greatest players.

Aldair's Club Career Highlights

Aldair started his football journey at Flamengo in Brazil. There, he won the State Championship in 1986. In 1989, he moved to Europe to play for Benfica in Portugal. With Benfica, he won the Portuguese Supercup and reached the European Cup final. He played only one season with them.

Playing for AS Roma

In 1990, Aldair joined AS Roma in Italy. He played for this club for 13 seasons, until 2003. He played a total of 436 matches for Roma, scoring 20 goals. During his time there, he helped Roma win the Serie A title in 2001. He also won one Supercoppa Italiana and one Coppa Italia in 1991. He even reached the UEFA Cup final in the same year.

Aldair was considered one of the best players in the world in 2000. He was chosen to be part of the FIFA XI team. Even though other big clubs might have wanted him, he stayed loyal to Roma. He was nicknamed "Pluto" by the Roma fans.

His Legacy at Roma

Because he played for Roma for so long, Aldair holds a record. He is the foreign player with the most appearances in the club's history. When he left in 2003, Roma decided to retire his number 6 jersey. This meant no other player would wear that number. However, in 2013, Aldair agreed to let Kevin Strootman wear the number 6 shirt again. In 1998, he was asked to be the captain of Roma. But he chose to give the captain's armband to a younger player, Francesco Totti, who was 22 at the time. In 2012, Aldair was added to the AS Roma Hall of Fame. This showed how important he was to the club.

Later Career Teams

After leaving Roma, Aldair briefly played for Genoa. In 2005, he announced he would play for Rio Branco in Brazil. He played two games and helped his team win the state championship.

Later, his friend and former teammate, Massimo Agostini, convinced him to play in San Marino for SS Murata. Aldair even played in the Champions League qualifying stage for Murata in 2007.

Aldair's International Career

Aldair was a key player for the Brazilian national team. He was part of the squad that played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

World Cup Success

In 1994, Aldair reached the peak of his career. He played for the Brazilian team that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. He was not originally in the squad, but he was called up when another player got sick. He also played for Brazil in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Brazil reached the final again but lost to France.

Other International Tournaments

Aldair also played in three Copa América tournaments with Brazil. He won the title in 1989 and 1997. He was also a runner-up in 1995. He won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Aldair was also part of the Brazilian team that won the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup. In total, he played 81 games for Brazil between 1989 and 2000, scoring three goals.

Aldair's Playing Style

Aldair was a very smart and flexible defender. He could play as a sweeper or a centre back. He had great vision and was very good with the ball. He could make long passes to create chances for his teammates.

Even though he wasn't super fast, he was a strong defender. He was excellent at heading the ball. He was also very good at predicting what opponents would do. This helped him make well-timed tackles. Besides his skills, Aldair was known for being a great leader and for his fair play throughout his career.

Aldair's Football Achievements

Aldair won many important titles during his career.

Club Honours

Flamengo

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1987
• Campeonato Carioca: 1986

Benfica

• Portuguese Supercup: 1989

Roma

• Serie A: 2000–01
• Coppa Italia: 1990–91
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2001

Rio Branco

• Campeonato Capixaba Série B: 2005

Murata

• Campionato Sammarinese: 2007–08

International Honours

Brazil

• FIFA World Cup: 1994; Runner-up 1998
• Copa América: 1989, 1997; Runner-up 1995
• Summer Olympic Games: Bronze medal 1996
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 1997

Individual Awards

• FIFA XI: 2000
• Golden Foot: 2008, as a football legend
• AS Roma Hall of Fame: 2012

See also

In Spanish: Aldair para niños

• List of athletes who came out of retirement