Who has won the most World Cups in any role?
Mário Zagallo is the only person in history to win four FIFA World Cups.
Zagallo achieved this feat in three different roles. He won as a player in 1958 and 1962, as a manager in 1970, and as an assistant coach in 1994. Known as 'The Professor,' his tactical brilliance and obsession with the number 13 made him a legendary figure in Brazilian football.
Nerd Mode
Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo holds a unique record in FIFA history that remains unmatched. His journey began as a left winger for the Brazilian national team, where he secured back-to-back World Cup titles in Sweden (1958) and Chile (1962). During the 1958 final against Sweden, he even scored the fourth goal in a 5-2 victory.In 1970, Zagallo took over as manager just months before the tournament in Mexico. He led what many experts consider the greatest football team of all time, featuring Pelé, Jairzinho, and Tostão, to a perfect record of six wins in six games. This victory made him the first person to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager.His fourth title came in 1994 at the tournament held in the United States. Serving as the technical coordinator and assistant to manager Carlos Alberto Parreira, Zagallo helped guide Brazil to a penalty shootout win over Italy in the final. This achievement solidified his status as the most successful individual in the history of the competition.Zagallo was also famous for his deep-seated superstition regarding the number 13. He believed the number brought him luck because his wife was a devotee of Saint Anthony, whose feast day is June 13. Throughout his career, he frequently looked for phrases that had 13 letters to justify his tactical decisions and predictions.
Verified Fact
FP-0009336 · Feb 21, 2026