Nelinho facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nelinho

Nelinho in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Manoel Rezende de Mattos Cabral
Date of birth	(1950-07-26) July 26, 1950 (age 74)
Place of birth	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Playing position	Right back
Youth career
1965	Olaria
1965–1970	América (RJ)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1970	América (RJ)
1970–1971	Barreirense	6	(0)
1971	Anzoátegui
1972	Bonsucesso
1972	Remo	10	(0)
1973–1980	Cruzeiro	410	(43)
1980–1981	Grêmio	2	(1)
1981–1982	Cruzeiro	17	(4)
1982–1987	Atlético Mineiro	274	(52)
Total		755	(100)
National team
1974–1980	Brazil	21	(6)
Teams managed
1993	Atlético Mineiro
1994	Cruzeiro
Honours Representing  Brazil FIFA World Cup Third 1978 Argentina
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Nelinho, whose full name is Manoel Rezende de Mattos Cabral, is a famous former Brazilian football player. He was born on July 26, 1950. Nelinho played as a right back, which is a defensive position on the field. He played for many different football clubs in Brazil and other countries. These included two big rival clubs in Belo Horizonte: Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro. Nelinho also played for the Brazilian national team in two FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Nelinho's Club Career

Nelinho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His parents were immigrants from Portugal. He started playing football at a local club called Olaria. He signed his first professional contract with América.

Playing in Portugal and Venezuela

A coach named Otto Glória suggested Nelinho move to Portugal. There, he played for a team called Barreirense. After that, he had a short time playing in Venezuela for Deportivo Anzoátegui.

Return to Brazil

Nelinho soon came back to Rio de Janeiro. He played for Bonsucesso, which then loaned him to Remo. He played very well in the 1972 Brazilian Championship. Because of his great performances, Cruzeiro signed him for the next season.

Success with Cruzeiro

Nelinho had a very successful time at Cruzeiro, a club in Belo Horizonte. He helped them win the Campeonato Mineiro (a state championship) four times between 1973 and 1977. In 1976, he also won the Copa Libertadores, which is a huge South American club competition. He even scored goals in two matches of the finals against River Plate.

While playing for Cruzeiro, Nelinho was chosen for the "Bola de Prata" (Silver Ball) award three times. This award recognizes the best players in the Brazilian Championship team of the year. He received it in 1975, 1979, and 1980. Overall, he played 411 games for Cruzeiro and scored 105 goals. Later, Nelinho also managed Cruzeiro in 1994.

Time at Grêmio and Atlético Mineiro

After leaving Cruzeiro, Nelinho had a short period playing for Grêmio. There, he won another state championship, the Campeonato Gaúcho.

In 1982, Nelinho returned to Belo Horizonte. This time, he joined Atlético Mineiro, who are big rivals of Cruzeiro. He finished his playing career at Atlético Mineiro. He won four more Campeonato Mineiro titles with them. In 1983, he won the Bola de Prata award again. He also coached Atlético Mineiro in 1993.

Nelinho's International Career

Nelinho played for the Brazilian national team 21 times. He played for Brazil between April 1974 and June 1980. During this time, he scored six goals for his country. He won a tournament called the Taça do Atlântico with the Brazilian team. He also played in two Copa América tournaments.

World Cup Appearances

Nelinho played in two FIFA World Cups. He played three matches in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. He then played four matches in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

In the 1978 World Cup, Nelinho scored one of the most amazing goals in World Cup history. It happened in the third-place match against Italy. From the right side of the field, he hit the ball with the outside of his right foot. The ball curved perfectly around the Italian goalkeeper, Dino Zoff, and went into the far corner of the goal. It was a truly spectacular shot!

Life After Football

After Nelinho stopped playing football, he got involved in politics. He joined the Democratic Labour Party in Brazil. In 1987, he was elected as a State Deputy for Minas Gerais. This meant he helped make laws for that state.

After some time in politics, he briefly returned to football. He managed Atlético Mineiro in 1993 and Cruzeiro in 1994. In 2005, Nelinho worked as a football expert for TV channels like TV Globo and SporTV. Today, he owns a health club in Belo Horizonte.

Honours

Cruzeiro

• Campeonato Mineiro: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977
• Copa Libertadores: 1976

Grêmio

• Campeonato Gaúcho: 1980

Atlético Mineiro

• Campeonato Mineiro: 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986

Brazil

• Taça do Atlântico: 1976

Individual

• Bola de Prata: 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983

See also

In Spanish: Nelinho para niños