Rivelino, a football artist turns 80: cult mustache and a unique left foot

Today, 1 January 2026, one of the most phenomenal footballers in the history of football turns eighty, an artist who sported a mustache of Molise origin and had a sinister bomber as a pedestal for his masterpieces, we are talking about an icon of bailed futbol in Brazilian style, who when he started dribbling darted – yes, that was the impression – like a bird that knows the geography of danger but admirably still manages to avoid full-backs planted like scarecrows in a vast corn field. His name is Roberto Rivellino – with two L’s to testify to his Italian origins – who has become known by his surname, however with an L’s removed: Rivelino.