Oldest World Cup footballer honoured on 100th birthday

ByaseL

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Nov 22, 2007
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NewVision

LA PLATA-

At 100, Francisco Varallo remembers everything: the thud of the heavy leather ball, playing while injured because substitutions were not allowed and, more than anything, the game that got away.

Varallo, the last survivor of the first World Cup final, marked his 100th birthday last week in his hometown near Buenos Aires by recalling the 1930 clash between his country and neighbouring Uruguay.

“Never in all my years have I been honoured this way,” Varallo said, smiling, as tears rolled from his eyes, after entering the theatre in La Plata where hundreds of people had gathered to pay tribute to him.

As a burly forward with a powerful right shot that won him the nickname “the little cannon”, Varallo was the youngest player to compete in the first World Cup when he played for Argentina in the tournament in Uruguay at the age of 20. Varallo’s Argentina lost the final against Uruguay 4-2

Varallo made his first-team debut at 14 and helped Gimnasia de la Plata win the only title in their history in 1929.

Varallo has been awarded the FIFA order of merit, the highest honour handed out by soccer’s ruling body and one that has previously gone to Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Bobby Moore. The Argentine Football Association gave him a striped blue-and-white Argentina team shirt with “Varallo” with the number 100 on the back.

Varallo is confident Argentina, led by Diego Maradona, will do well this June in South Africa.
 
NewVision

LA PLATA-

At 100, Francisco Varallo remembers everything: the thud of the heavy leather ball, playing while injured because substitutions were not allowed and, more than anything, the game that got away.

Varallo, the last survivor of the first World Cup final, marked his 100th birthday last week in his hometown near Buenos Aires by recalling the 1930 clash between his country and neighbouring Uruguay.

“Never in all my years have I been honoured this way,” Varallo said, smiling, as tears rolled from his eyes, after entering the theatre in La Plata where hundreds of people had gathered to pay tribute to him.

As a burly forward with a powerful right shot that won him the nickname “the little cannon”, Varallo was the youngest player to compete in the first World Cup when he played for Argentina in the tournament in Uruguay at the age of 20. Varallo’s Argentina lost the final against Uruguay 4-2

Varallo made his first-team debut at 14 and helped Gimnasia de la Plata win the only title in their history in 1929.

Varallo has been awarded the FIFA order of merit, the highest honour handed out by soccer’s ruling body and one that has previously gone to Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Bobby Moore. The Argentine Football Association gave him a striped blue-and-white Argentina team shirt with “Varallo” with the number 100 on the back.

Varallo is confident Argentina, led by Diego Maradona, will do well this June in South Africa.
Leta picha yake sasa!Habari kama hii kukosa picha ni sawa na kula wali mkavu!
 
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