View source for Hilderaldo Bellini

{{Football player infobox
|playername=Hilderaldo Bellini
|image=Hilderaldo Bellini.jpg
|caption=Bellini in 2008
|fullname=Hilderaldo Luís Bellini
|birth_date={{birth date|1930|6|7|df=yes}}
|birth_place=[[Itapira]], [[Brazil]]
|death_date={{death date and age|2014|3|20|1930|6|7|df=yes}}
|death_place=[[São Paulo]], Brazil 
|height={{height|m=1.85}}
|position=[[Defender (football)|Defender]] (retired)
|currentclub=
|clubnumber=
|youthyears1=1941–1947
|youthclubs1=[[S.E. Itapirense|Itapirense]]
|years1=1947–1948
|years2=1948–1952
|years3=1952–1961
|years4=1961–1968
|years5=1968–1969
|clubs1=[[S.E. Itapirense|Itapirense]]
|clubs2=[[São Joãnense]]
|clubs3=[[C.R. Vasco da Gama|Vasco da Gama]]
|clubs4=[[São Paulo F.C.|São Paulo]]
|clubs5=[[Clube Atlético Paranaense|Atlético Paranaense]]
|caps1=48
|goals1=0
|caps2=143
|goals2=2
|caps3=430
|goals3=17
|caps4=205
|goals4=1
|caps5=55
|goals5=0
|totalcaps=881
|totalgoals= 20
|nationalyears1=1957–1966
|nationalteam1=[[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]
|nationalcaps1=51
|nationalgoals1=0
|manageryears1=
|managerclubs1=
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football|Football]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|BRA|1889}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIFA World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[1958 FIFA World Cup|1958 Sweden]]|}}
{{Medal|W|[[1962 FIFA World Cup|1962 Chile]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Copa América]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[1957 South American Championship|1957 Peru]]|}}
{{Medal|RU|[[1959 South American Championship (Argentina)|1959 Argentina]]|}}
}}
'''Hilderaldo Bellini''' (7 June 1930 &ndash; 20 March 2014) was a [[Brazil]]ian [[association football|football]] player. He has played for [[Brazil national football team|Brazil national team]]. He is of [[Italians|Italian]] origin who played as a [[Defender (association football)|defender]] and he was known in Brazil to be considered as one of the nation's most solid [[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|central defenders]] ever. Widely regarded to be one of the best Brazilian centre-backs of his generation. Bellini was known as a solid and reliable defender and was known for his marking and covering. Bellini was a strong, lean defender who stood out in the box. He compensated for limited technique with seriousness and loyalty to opponents, which earned him the post of captain for the national team in 1958.

==Club career==
In 1947, Hilderaldo Bellini joined the newly founded Sociedade Esportiva in his hometown of Itapira – located around 180 km east of the state capital of São Paulo on the border with Minas Gerais – which that year took part in the state’s interior championship, the Campeonato do Interior. From 1949 he played for Esportiva in nearby São João da Boa Vista. At the end of 1952 he was brought to the CR Vasco da Gama in the then federal capital Rio de Janeiro. With the state championship in 1952, the Maltese cruisers won the last title of their era as Expresso de Vitória, the golden era of the club. He went through his club career until 1961 at Vasco da Gama, FC São Paulo (until 1968) and ended his active career in 1969 at Athletico Paranaense.


==International career==
He made his debut for the national team on July 13, 1957 in Lima against Peru (1-1), During his career in the national team, which lasted 9 years, he played 51 matches for Brazil. As part of the national team, he was a participant in the 1957 Copa América draw in Peru, where together with the team he won "silver", Bellini was captain and central defender in the Seleção at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, when Brazil won the World Cup for the first time with exciting combination football and a surprising 4-2-4 system for the Europeans. The defender, nicknamed "Eisenfuss", ensured that [[Vicente Feola]]'s team went through the preliminary round and the quarter-finals in Sweden without conceding a goal and only conceded their first two goals in the semi-final against France. His greatest strength wasn't necessarily on the field, but in his personality, which made him a leading figure at Vasco and in the national team. The defensive formation of the tournament in Sweden with goalkeeper [[Gilmar dos Santos Neves|Gilmar]], the full -back pair [[Djalma Santos]] and [[Nílton Santos]] as well as in central defense with Bellini and [[Orlando Peçanha de Carvalho|Orlando]] and the defensive boss in midfield, [[Zito]], was among the best that world football has ever seen in previous world tournaments. The outstanding defensive skills of Brazil's first world champion team took a back seat to the outstanding attacking players [[Garrincha]], [[Valdir Pereira|Didi]], [[Vavá]], [[Mário Zagallo|Zagallo]] and [[Pelé]]. Brazil won 5-2 against the host Sweden, Bellini is credited with starting the tradition of lifting the trophy into the air in football. He initially did this so that photographers could have a better view of the trophy and, as the photos were published around the world, the gesture became associated with victory. He was named to participated during the Copa América in 1959 and Brazil finished as runners-up, Bellini still took part in the [[1962 FIFA World Cup]] in Chile - there he was only a reserve for his successor [[Mauro Ramos|Mauro]] and followed the title defense from the bench - and came in his third World Cup participation in 1966 in England again in two group games, after Brazil was eliminated, Bellini was no longer called up to play for Brazil.

==Death==
Bellini died on 20 March 2014, aged 83, in São Paulo, due to complications caused by [[Alzheimer's disease]] ending with [[cardiac arrest]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://esporte.uol.com.br/futebol/ultimas-noticias/2014/03/20/capitao-do-primeiro-titulo-mundial-do-brasil-bellini-morre-aos-83-anos.htm|title=Capitão do primeiro título mundial do Brasil, Bellini morre aos 83 anos |publisher=UOL |date=20 March 2014 |accessdate= 20 March 2014|language=Portuguese}}</ref> After his death, an autopsy revealed that Bellini had been suffering from [[chronic traumatic encephalopathy]] (CTE).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2014/09/23/brazilian-soccer-star-bellini-has-cte-diagnosed-just-as-fifa-revamps-concussion-protocol/|accessdate=September 21, 2024|title=Brazilian soccer star Bellini has CTE diagnosed, just as FIFA revamps concussion protocol|publisher=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref>

== International career statistics ==
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/bellini-intl.html|title=Hideraldo Luiz Bellini - International Appearances|website=www.rsssf.com}}</ref>
{{Football player national team statistics|BRA}}
|-
|1957||6||0
|-
|1958||8||0
|-
|1959||8||0
|-
|1960||10||0
|-
|1961||2||0
|-
|1962||3||0
|-
|1963||0||0
|-
|1964||0||0
|-
|1965||8||0
|-
|1966||6||0
|-
!Total||51||0
|}


==Honours==
===Club===
;Vasco da Gama	
*[[Campeonato Carioca]]: 1952, 1956, 1958
*[[Copa Rio (international tournament)|Torneio Octogonal Rivadavia Corrêa Meyer]]: 1953
*[[Torneio Internacional de Santiago]]: 1953
*[[Copa Rivadavia]]: 1953
*[[Quadrangular Internacional do Rio de Janeiro]]: 1953
*[[Triangular Internacional do Chile]]: 1957
*[[Torneio Quadrangular de Lima]]: 1957
*[[Torneio de Paris]]: 1957
*[[Troféu Teresa Herrera]]: 1957
*[[Torneio Rio – São Paulo]]: 1958

===International===
;Brazil
*[[FIFA World Cup]]: [[1958 FIFA World Cup|1958]], [[1962 FIFA World Cup|1962]]
*[[Copa Roca]]: 1957, 1960, 1963
*[[Copa Oswaldo Cruz]]: 1958, 1961, 1962
*[[Copa América|South American Championship]] Runner-up: 1957, 1959
*[[Taça Bernardo O'Higgins]]: 1959, 1961
*[[Copa Atlântica]]: 1960

===Individual===
*[[FIFA World Cup awards#All-Star Team|FIFA World Cup All-Star Team]]: 1958
*[[IFFHS Brazilian Player of the 20th Century]] (19th place)<ref>[http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html IFFHS' Century Elections]</ref>
*[[IFFHS|IFFHS South American Player of the 20th Century]] (37th place)<ref name="IFFHS' Century Elections">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html|title=IFFHS' Century Elections|website=www.rsssf.com}}</ref>
*The Best of The Best – Player of the Century: Top 50<ref>[http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/bestbest.html "The Best of The Best"] Retrieved on 17 November 2015</ref>
*[[Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{1958 FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament}}
{{Brazil Squad 1958 World Cup}}
{{Brazil Squad 1962 World Cup}}
{{Brazil Squad 1966 World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellini, Hilderaldo}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:Footballers from São Paulo (state)]]