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João Carvalhaes: how a World Cup-winner pioneered the use of psychology in football

João Carvalhaes: how a World Cup-winner pioneered the use of psychology in football

Brazil's 1958 World Cup win announced the arrival of Pele - and football's first brush with sport psychology

John Nassoori
Nov 16, 2022
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João Carvalhaes: how a World Cup-winner pioneered the use of psychology in football
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Brazil's 1950 and 1954 World Cup campaigns had been torturous. In 1950 defeat in the final by Uruguay at the Maracanã, the spiritual home of Brazilian football, prompted mourning across the country.

The 1954 tournament, held in Switzerland, ended in ignominy as Brazil were reduced to nine men during an ugly 4-2 quarter-final loss to Hungary in a match ni…

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