Reinaldo (footballer, born 1957) facts for kids

José Reinaldo de Lima (born January 11, 1957) is a famous Brazilian former football player. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player whose main job was to score goals. People often called him Reinaldo or Rei (which means "The King" in Portuguese).

Many consider Reinaldo one of the best strikers in Brazilian football history. He spent most of his career playing for Atlético Mineiro. Fans and experts often say he was the most important player for that club. He still holds an amazing record for scoring the most goals per game in the Brazilian league. In 1977, he scored 1.55 goals per match! At that time, Atlético Mineiro was thought to be one of the best teams in the world.

Even legendary Brazilian midfielder Zico said Reinaldo was the best player he had ever seen. Zico believed Reinaldo could have been the greatest Brazilian player after Pelé, if not for some injuries he faced.

Reinaldo's Football Journey: Clubs and National Team

Reinaldo played for the Brazilian national team from July 1975 to May 1985. During this time, he played 30 matches and scored 14 goals for his country.

Playing in the FIFA World Cup

He was part of the Brazilian team in the 1978 FIFA World Cup. In that tournament, he scored one important goal against Sweden. Reinaldo also scored the goal that helped Brazil qualify for the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. However, he was not able to join the team for the tournament, likely because of an injury.

Clubs Reinaldo Played For

Reinaldo played for several clubs during his career. His longest and most successful time was with Atlético Mineiro. He also played briefly for other teams like Palmeiras, Rio Negro, Cruzeiro, Häcken in Sweden, and Telstar Velsen in the Netherlands.

Reinaldo's Amazing Records and Awards

Reinaldo set many impressive records and won several awards during his football career. He was known for his incredible goal-scoring ability.

Goal-Scoring Records

Reinaldo scored a club record of 255 goals for Clube Atlético Mineiro. This shows how important he was to the team's success. In the 1977 season, he scored 28 goals in just 18 matches. This gave him an average of 1.55 goals per game, which is the highest average ever in the Brazilian League. Because of this amazing achievement, Atlético Mineiro fans nicknamed him The King ("o Rei" in Portuguese).

Championship Titles

Reinaldo helped Atlético Mineiro win the Campeonato Mineiro title eight times. This is a state championship in Brazil. He even won it six times in a row! His victories were in 1976, and then from 1978 to 1983, and again in 1985.

Life After Playing Football

Even after he stopped playing, Reinaldo remained a well-known figure. He is still remembered and admired by Atlético Mineiro supporters.

Reinaldo's Political Career

In 2004, Reinaldo was elected in Belo Horizonte to represent the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Brazilian Workers' Party). This shows his interest in helping his community and country beyond the football field.

Honours and Achievements

Reinaldo achieved many honours with his clubs and the national team, as well as individual awards.

Atlético Mineiro

• Copa dos Campeões da Copa Brasil: 1978
• Campeonato Mineiro: 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1985

Brazil National Team

• Taça da França: 1981
• Taça da Inglaterra: 1981

Individual Awards

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Top Scorer: 1977 (with 28 goals)
• Bola de Prata da Revista Placar (Top Scorer of the Brazilian Championship - 28 goals: 1977)
• Bola de Prata da Revista Placar (Selected for the Brazilian Championship Team: 1977 and 1983)

Record

• Top scorer with the highest average of goals in a single Brazilian Championship (28 goals in 18 matches, average of 1.55 per game): 1977