World Cup winner Carlos Alberto Parreira hospitalised in cancer battle

Carlos Alberto Parreira has been hospitalised in his fight against cancer. The 83-year-old World Cup winner Parreira was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2023 and in a statement the hospital said it would not provide details.

The AP reported that Zinho, a member of the 1994 Brazil squad told journalists the former coach “is not in good shape” and had “lung problems that are putting him in a ventilator at the hospital.”

“He is stable, we need to wait. Doctors are giving him the best care, all we can do is to pray for Parreira.”

Parreira is one of the most distinguished managers in international football. He began his career in the 1960s and formed part of Brazil’s backroom staff at the 1970 World Cup when Pelé and Tostão guided the South Americans to their third World Cup.

Twenty-four years later, he led Brazil to their fourth World Cup title at the 1994 iteration in the United States. He also formed a part of the Brazil setup at the 2014 World Cup when the five-time world champions suffered a historic 7-1 defeat against Germany in the semi-finals.

Parreira regularly appeared on the sidelines at the World Cup, managing Kuwait (1982), United Arab Emirates (1990), Saudi Arabia (1998) and South Africa (2010). He also managed the Selecao at the 2006 World Cup when a star-studded Brazil faltered in the last eight against Zinedine Zidane’s France.