‘His legacy is eternal’ – Brazilian icon Roberto Dinamite dies of colon cancer aged 68 as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar pay tribute to ex-Barcelona striker
Brazilian legend Roberto Dinamite has died aged 68 following a battle with colon cancer.
The former Barcelona striker, who scored twice in eight appearances for the Catalan club in the 1979/80 season, represented the Selecao at the 1978 and 1982 World Cups.
AFP
Roberto Dinamite has sadly passed away at the age of 68 after a battle with cancer
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Dinamite has scored 20 goals in 38 games for the Brazil national team
In total, he scored 20 goals in 38 caps for the South American nation.
He remains Vasco da Gama’s all-time top scorer with 469 goals in 745 appearances during his two spells at the Estadio Sao Januario.
Dinamite propelled the Rio de Janeiro team to the Brazilian league title in 1974 – the club’s first league championship.
No player has scored more than Dinamite’s 190 goals in the Brazilian Serie A.
Following his death, Vasco declared an official seven-day mourning for the “greatest idol in club history”.
A statement from the club read: “The greatest of all will live forever. His legacy is eternal.
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Dinamite is Vasco da Gama’s all-time top scorer with 469 goals
Dinamite is also the top scorer in the Brazilian top flight with 190 goals.
“The influence on the generations who have followed football for decades and come to name the fans is endless.
“Thank you for everything, Roberto. We love you forever.”
World Cup double Ronaldo was quick to express his condolences on social media, where he shared a photo of the two together.
Captioning the photo, he said: “Sad loss for our football – top scorer in the history of Brazil.
Instagram: @Ronaldo
Ronaldo paid tribute to Dinamite after sharing a photo of the pair together on Instagram
“Rest in peace my friend Here it will follow for reference. My condolences to his family, friends and fans.”
His ex-teammate Ronaldinho also posted an image alongside Dinamite on Twitterwhere he commented: “A difficult week for football.
“May God welcome you and comfort your whole family. My condolences, your legacy will also be unforgettable my friend!
Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar also paid tribute by taking to his Instagram story to post an image of him with the former politician.
He simply said, “Rest in peace legend.”
In a statement, the Brazilian FA (CBF) said: “With regret, the CBF mourns the death of Roberto Dinamite, one of the greatest athletes in Brazilian football.
“For the Brazilian national team, the former player scored 25 goals and was Brazil’s top scorer. [second-place campaign at] the 1983 Copa America.
“He also played in the 1978 and 1982 World Cups. You will always be part of the history of our football. Thank you for everything, Roberto. Rest in peace.”
Instagram: @neymarjr
Neymar expressed his condolences on social media after Dinamite’s death
After retiring in 1993, Dinamite entered politics where he eventually served as Vasco’s club president from 2008 to 2014.
Dinamite is the second Brazilian legend to die in recent times following the death of world star Pelé in late December at the age of 82.
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