Heleno De Freitas

1939/48 Botafogo (BRE) 235 matches, 209 goals

1948 Boca Juniors (BRE) 17 matches, 7 goals

1949/50 Vasco da Gama (BRE) 24 matches, 19 goals

1950 Atlético Junior (COL) 15 matches, 9 goals

1951 Santos FC (BRE) 20 matches, 18 goals

1951 América FC (BRE) 1 match

With the National Team :

18 caps, 15 goals

(Friendly match: 1 cap, 1 goal)

(Copa America: 10 caps, 9 goals)

(Copa Rio Branco: 5 caps, 3 goals)

(Copa Julio Roca: 2 caps, 2 goals)

1st cap: May 17, 1944 against Uruguay (4-0)

Last cap: April 4, 1947 against Uruguay (1-1)

Heleno De Freitas

Born on February 12, 1920 in São João Nepomuceno (BRE)

Died on November 8, 1959 in Barbacena (BRE)

Brazilian, Striker, 1m82

Nicknames: Príncipe Maldito, Gilda

Heleno De Freitas was born on February 12, 1920 in São João Nepomuceno, Brazil. Coming from a rather wealthy family, he was the son of a coffee merchant. In his youth, he moved to Rio de Janeiro where he studied law at the university.

He played in the youth categories of Fluminense before joining the Botafogo club and integrating the first team. The fact that he left Fluminense lies in his arrogance and his fiery temperament which does not please the club's leaders.

The young player then has the task of eventually replacing the club legend Carvalho Leite. He will rub shoulders with the club's idol for 3 years and take over from him. With a silky touch and rare elegance with the ball at his feet, he established himself during the 1940s as one of the best players of his generation.

In 235 games played for Botafogo, he scored 209 goals. Enough to become one of the greatest legends of the Brazilian club. In 1948, he was forced to leave the club due to extra-sporting problems, including his alcoholism, drug addiction, arrogant character, whims...

With the Seleção, his adventure ended in 1947, after 18 games played and 15 goals scored. He also finished top scorer in the 1945 Copa America, which he dazzled with his talent. Unfortunately he would never win the competition, and had to settle for being vice-champion in 1945 and 1946.

Having joined Boca Juniors in 1948, he was now categorized throughout Latin America as an enfant terrible with immense talent. During his career in Brazil, he rubbed shoulders with the richest men in the country, accumulating parties and female conquests. And during his time in Argentina, it is said that he dated the wife of the Argentine president, Eva Peron.

Addicted to casino games, alcohol and drugs, he took his non-call-up to the 1950 World Cup in Brazil very badly. He had won the Rio Championship the previous year and had made an impression. Scoring 19 goals in 24 games for Vasco De Gama.

But his non-call-up to the 1950 World Cup can also be explained by one thing, his exile in Colombia due to internal problems with the management and players of Vasco De Gama. In Colombia, he had a legendary match against Millonarios de Bogota, where he was simply flamboyant and muzzled a certain Alfredo Di Stéfano.

He then returned to Brazil in 1951 to Santos FC where he had a good season as an individual, scoring 18 goals in 20 matches at the age of 31. He then went to the America club in Rio where he only played one match, due to yet another extra-sporting foul on his part, where he struggled.

A victim of nervous syphilis, he was eaten away by the disease and had to end his football career. He was admitted to a hospice in 1954 and died in 1959 at the age of 39. During the last years of his life, he gradually descended into madness. And his death left a bitter taste for Brazilian football fans. The man who believed he was the best Brazilian player in history would ultimately be forgotten and eclipsed by names such as Garrincha, Didi and Pelé.

- Top scorer of the Copa America in 1945 (6 goals)

- Top scorer of the Rio championship in 1942 (28 goals) (Botafogo)

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