Obdulio Varela facts for kids

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Obdulio Varela

Varela with Uruguay
Personal information
Full name	Obdulio Jacinto Muiños Varela
Date of birth	(1917-09-20)September 20, 1917
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Date of death	August 2, 1996(1996-08-02) (aged 78)
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Holding midfielder, Centre back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1936–1938	Deportivo Juventud
1938–1943	Montevideo Wanderers
1943–1955	Peñarol
National team
1939–1954	Uruguay	45	(9)
Teams managed
1955	Peñarol
Honours Men's football Representing  Uruguay FIFA World Cup Winner 1950 Brazil Copa América Winner 1942 Uruguay Runner-up 1939 Peru Runner-up 1941 Chile
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Obdulio Jacinto Muiños Varela (born September 20, 1917 – died August 2, 1996) was a famous Uruguayan football player. He was the captain of the Uruguay national team. He led his team to win the 1950 FIFA World Cup against Brazil. This important match is often called the Maracanazo.

People called him "El Negro Jefe" (which means The Black Chief). This nickname came from his darker skin and his strong leadership on the field. He was especially known for his role in the surprising victory over Brazil. Varela was a mix of African, Spanish, and Greek heritage. He is remembered as one of the best holding midfielders ever. He was great at defending and famous for his toughness and leadership skills. Many see him as one of football's greatest captains. He is still a big sports hero in Uruguay.

Obdulio Varela's Club Career

Varela was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. He started playing as a centre half (a type of defender) for Deportivo Juventud in 1936. He then played his first top-level game for Montevideo Wanderers in 1938.

In 1943, he joined C.A. Peñarol, a very famous club. He played for Peñarol until he stopped playing professionally in 1955.

Playing for Uruguay: International Matches

Varela first played for Uruguay in 1939. This was in a Copa América match against Chile in Lima, Peru. Uruguay won that game 3–2, and Varela came into the match as a substitute.

He played a total of 45 international games for Uruguay between 1939 and 1954. During these games, he scored nine goals.

The 1950 FIFA World Cup: The Maracanazo

Varela is most famous for being the captain of the Uruguay team that won the 1950 FIFA World Cup. He was the main reason Brazil lost that final match. The final game was against the host country, Brazil. Uruguay needed to win to lift the Cup, but Brazil only needed a draw.

Before the game, in the changing room, the Uruguayan coach Juan López told his players to play defensively. He thought this was their best chance against the strong Brazilian team. But after the coach left, Varela spoke to his teammates. He told them, "Juan is a good man, but if we defend, we will end up like Sweden and Spain." (Brazil had beaten Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1). He then added, "The game is played on the pitch. When you go out, don't look at the crowd. Those people outside are just like wood."

Varela's speech was very important. It made his teammates play without fear. The first half ended with a 0–0 score. Five minutes into the second half, Brazil scored a goal. This is when Varela took charge. He slowly walked to his goal, picked up the ball, and argued with the English referee George Reader. He pretended there was an offside, even though there wasn't one. He did this to slow down the game and let the excited crowd calm down. After that, he told his teammates, "Now it's time to win the game!" The Brazilian fans in the stadium became very quiet.

Uruguay then scored a goal through Schiaffino. Nine minutes before the end of the game, with Brazil's team very nervous, Alcides Ghiggia scored another goal. This made the score 2–1 for Uruguay, and they won the World Cup!

After the win, Varela did something surprising. He spent that evening drinking with Brazilian fans in a bar in Rio. He didn't listen to the warnings from Uruguayan officials.

Later World Cup Matches

Varela also played in the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Uruguay was defending its 1950 title. However, Varela got injured while celebrating a goal in the quarter-final match against England. Uruguay won that game 4–2. Because of his injury, he missed the semi-final. Uruguay had never lost a World Cup match when Varela was playing.

After Playing Football

Varela's last football match was on June 19, 1955. He played for Peñarol against América. Varela was also one of the team's coaches at the time. He came off the bench to play in the second half. But he soon realized he couldn't continue playing. So, he decided to end his career.

Obdulio Varela passed away on August 2, 1996. He is buried at Cementerio del Cerro, Montevideo.

Awards and Achievements

With Peñarol:

• Uruguayan first division league champion: 1944, 1945, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954
• Torneo de Honor winner: 1944, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953
• Competencia tourney winner: 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953

With Uruguay:

• FIFA World Cup winner: 1950
• Copa América winner: 1942
• Copa Baron de Rio Branco winner against Brasil: 1940, 1946, 1948
• Copa Escobar Gerona winner: 1943

Individual Awards

• Copa América Best Player: 1942
• Varela was chosen as one of the 13 best South American players of the 20th century.
• He was also part of the Copa América Historical Dream Team in 2011.

See also

In Spanish: Obdulio Varela para niños