Former captain Carlos Alberto Torres, affectionately known as “Capita,” a great master of Brazilian football, passed away at the age of 72 on October 25 in Rio de Janeiro from a heart attack.
In 1964, he played as a right-back for Fluminense. At Santos, he played alongside Pelé, Pepe, Gilmar dos Santos Neves, and Zito, winning 5 Paulista tournaments, 2 Taça-Brasil, and one Rio-São Paulo.
Due to his prominence at Santos, he eventually joined the Brazilian National Team, where in 1970, he was the captain of a squad filled with stars like Gérson, Tostão, and Pelé, and it was Torres who lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy when the Brazilian team defeated Italy 4-1.
In the 1970s, Fluminense, known as the “Tricolor Machine,” welcomed back the star Torres. He later played for Flamengo alongside Zico.
Outside of Brazil, he played for New York Cosmos with Pelé and also for California Surf.
After retiring as a player, Carlos Alberto Torres dedicated himself to coaching. In addition to managing Flamengo, Fluminense, and Botafogo, where he won the Copa Conmebol in 1993, he also coached Corinthians, Náutico, Atlético-MG, and Paysandu, and had stints in Mexican football and with the national teams of Oman and Azerbaijan.
He served as a city councilor in Rio de Janeiro in 1989.
His last role was as a sports commentator for the SporTv channel.
In New York, Brazilians warmly welcomed his participation in the festivities celebrating Brazilian Day 2002 when he took the stage with community representative, event creator, and personal friend, João de Matos.