Paulo Falcao

Paulo Roberto Falcao is a former professional football player from Brazil. Throughout his club career, he played for Internacional, Roma, and Sao Paulo. He also played for the Brazil National Football Team from 1976 to 1986. In 1982, he was named to the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.

Player Profile, Personal Life, and Youth Career

Paulo Roberto Falcão, or simply Falcão was born on October 10, 1953, in Abelardo Luz, Brazil. He is of Italian and Portuguese-Brazilian descent. In 2003, he married Cristina Ranzolin, they have a daughter together.

After his football career, he worked for many years as a commentator for Red Globo and SportsTV.

He was part of the Internacional youth system and played his youth career with the club from 1965-1972.

Professional Career

He turned pro in 1972 and started playing for Internacional’s senior team. He made 158 appearances for the club and scored 22 goals. While there, he helped them win five Campeonato Gaúcho titles and four Campeonato Brasileiro Série A titles.

In 1980, he signed to play with Roma. He was part of the team that won the 1980–81 and 1983–84 Coppa Italia. In the 1983-1984 season, he also helped the club become that year’s European Cup runner-up.

In 1982, he was awarded the FIFA World Cup Silver Ball and was named to the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.

In 1985, he signed with Sao Paulo and played 25 matches with the team, scoring 8 goals. In total, he made 290 appearances in his club career.

After he retired from professional football, he started managing the Brazil National Team. After one season with them, he moved to manage Club America. From 1993 to 2016, he would manage seven clubs, taking time off here and there to work on other interests. The last club he managed was Internacional.

Career Highlights:

Internacional

• Campeonato Gaúcho - 1973, 1974,

1975, 1976, 1978

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A -

1975, 1976, 1979

Roma

• Coppa Italia - 1980–81, 1983–84
• Serie A - 1982–83
• European Cup, runner-up - 1983–84

São Paulo

• Campeonato Paulista - 1985
• Taça dos Campeões Estaduais Rio-São

Paulo - 1985

Individual

• Bola de Prata Brazilian Championship

All-Star Team - 1975, 1978, 1979

• Bola de Ouro Brazilian Footballer of

the Year - 1978, 1979

• Bronze ball South American Player of

the Year - 1979

• FIFA World Cup Silver Ball - 1982
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team - 1982
• FIFA XI - 1982
• Silver ball South American Player of

the Year - 1982

• Onze de Bronze - 1982
• Onze d'Argent - 1983
• World Soccer's 100 Greatest

Footballers of All Time - 1999

• FIFA 100 - 2004
• A.S. Roma Hall of Fame - 2012
• Italian Football Hall of Fame - 2016
• Brazilian Football Museum Hall of

Fame

• Golden Foot, as a football legend -

2019

Team History:

National Team

• 1972 - Brazil U23
• 1976–1986 - Brazil

Teams Managed

• 1990–1991 - Brazil
• 1991–1992 - Club América
• 1993 - Internacional
• 1994 - Japan
• 2011 - Internacional
• 2012 - Bahia
• 2015–2016 - Sport Recife
• 2016 – Internacional