Antônio Wilson "Coutinho"

1958/68 Santos FC (BRE) 457 matches, 370 goals

1968 EC Vitoria (BRE)

1969 Portuguesa (BRE)

1970 Santos FC (BRE)

1971 CF Atlas (MEX)

1971/72 Bangu AC (BRE)

1973 Saad EC (BRE)

With the National Team :

15 caps, 6 goals

(Friendly matches: 8 caps, 2 goals)

(Copa Roca: 1 cap)

(Copa Oswaldo Cruz: 4 caps, 4 goals)

(Copa Bernardo O'Higgins: 2 caps)

1st cap: July 9, 1960 against Uruguay (0-1)

Last cap: November 22, 1965 against Hungary (5-3)

Antônio Wilson "Coutinho" Vieira Honorio

Born June 11, 1943 in Piracicaba (BRE)

Brazilian, striker, 1m72

Nickname: Pé de Vidro

Coutinho will do was born in 1943 in Piracicaba, Brazil. He started playing football in the street, like almost all players his age. Playing in small local teams, the player was spotted by Santos who offered him a trial at Santos during half-time of a preliminary match where he was playing for a small team in his city.

As a youngster, he worked in a central mill, later he would work in a mechanical workshop. For him, football was just a hobby, he played football at school and worked in the afternoon. An example of this "playful" side of football for him is one of his anecdotes: "He remembers a sticker album he had, the exchanges he made with other colleagues to complete it. He took hidden money from his mother to buy the album and, when he finished it, he won a football."

At the age of twelve, he started playing football in a small club called Palmeirinha do Bairro Alto. Quite criticized, the profession of footballer was not well seen by his parents who refused the boy's choice to become a professional footballer. So he studied, forced by his parents.

Coutinho who was spotted by Lula, the coach of the Santos first team, played in the Santos Youth category and received many compliments on his game. He lived like many in the club's grounds, with players like Droval, Pelé, Dalmo or Afonsinho.

He joined the first team in 1957 but did not play until 1958. As a center forward, he amazed observers. Like Pelé, he was endowed with great maturity in his game despite his young age. Let us remember that the player was only 15 years old in 1958. He became a starter when Pagan was injured, which slightly changed the team's game plan. At that time, Pelé was used to playing at the forefront of the attack, but with Coutinho, he would play slightly behind Coutinho.

He established himself in this position and formed a magnificent duo with Pelé. He also played his first match with the Selecao on July 9, 1960 against Uruguay (1-0 defeat). But the main thing is elsewhere, he is one of the greatest talents of his generation and it is therefore logical that he is called to the 1962 World Cup. Unfortunately, he is injured and cannot play in the competition, he is still part of the group and is therefore part of the winners of the 1962 World Cup.

In 1965, his international career ends, at only 22 years old. A disappointment for the player who shone at Santos where he won 2 Copa Libertadores in 1962 and 1963. Subsequently, he continues to win many trophies and pile up goals. He is still one of the best scorers in the history of football.

Often forgotten behind the great shadow of the king Pelé, he is one of these Brazilian legends naturally talented. Very technically gifted, he was also very fast and agile at the top of his one meter seventy-two. A small, complete, decisive and efficient striker. Unfortunately, he left Santos FC in 1968, from there and when he was only 25 years old, his career took another turn. And he went through a series of transfers and disappointments in addition to numerous injuries that ended his career definitively in 1973, at the age of 30.

- Top scorer of the Copa Libertadores in 1962 (6 goals) (Santos FC)

- Top scorer of the Taça Brasil in 1962 (7 goals) (Santos FC)

- Top scorer of the Rio-São Paulo tournament in 1961 (9 goals) and 1964 (11 goals) (Santos FC)

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