Soccer world in mourning, Leivinha died

The soccer world is mourning the passing of João Leiva Campos Filho, known in the soccer world as Leivinha. He was 76 years old and had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for some time.

To announce Leivinha’s passing was Palmeiras, the club in which the former striker played between 1971 and 1975 and became an idol: “With enormous sorrow we communicate the death of Leivinha, one of the most iconic figures in the history of our club. Gifted with great tactical intelligence, refined technique and remarkable goal-scoring ability, he was among the main protagonists of the team that dominated Brazilian soccer in the early 1970s.”

After his farewell to Palmeiras Leivinha moved on to Atletico Madrid where he collected 40 goals in 83 appearances before returning to Brazil to wear the São Paulo jersey. Due to numerous injuries he was forced to retire at just 29 years old. He made his debut with the Brazilian senior national team in 1972 and collected 21 tokens topped by 7 goals.

Despite his early retirement, his name has remained inextricably linked to the history of Palmeiras and Brazilian soccer. His talent, goals and contributions to the club’s successes continue to be remembered by generations of fans.