What You Need to Know
Vicente Lucas, a celebrated Mozambican footballer, passed away at 90. Known for his remarkable career at Belenenses and his role in the 1966 World Cup, he was revered for his defensive skills and sportsmanship. Lucas’s legacy includes a notable match against Brazil where he famously marked Pelé, earning him a place in football history.
Africa-Press – Mozambique. Vicente Lucas, a true legend of Mozambican and Portuguese football history, died this Wednesday, 14 April. He was 90 years old. The information was released by the Belenenses club, which remembers its former player as “a good, simple, modest and affable man”.
“He was to this day Belenenses’ greatest living figure, a legend not only of our club but of Portuguese and world football”, highlights Belenenses in a statement released on social media. It emphasizes that Vicente Lucas, Matateu’s brother – also a former club player – was recognized “for his sporting spirit, correctness, nobility of character and football value”.
Born in Mozambique on September 24, 1935, Vicente Lucas arrived at Belenenses at the age of 18, having participated in the 1966 World Cup with the Portuguese national team’s shirt in the team that became known as ‘Magriços’ which included figures such as Eusébio and Mário Coluna, both Mozambican too.
The club remembers him as the “man who dried Pelé” [o homem que secou o Pelé] in a Portugal-Brazil match in that same World Cup, where the Portuguese national team came in third place.
A 20-time Portuguese international, Vicente Lucas had a Portuguese Cup on his CV, won in 1960 by the Restelo club.
“Both at Belenenses and in the Portuguese national team, he commanded general admiration and consideration”, says the club, recalling the 12 seasons in which he was at the service of the Restelo emblem, totalling 284 official meetings.
“An elegant player with fine technique and impeccable positional sense, he began his career as an attacking midfielder — scoring the winning goal against FC Porto on his official debut — before moving into more defensive roles, where he earned greater acclaim. His unusual ability to mark opponents and anticipate play made the phrase often shouted during matches, “Cut Vicente!” / “Corta Vicente!”, popular, reads the note from Belenenses.
In solidarity following the passing of this exceptional figure, the Portuguese Football Federation has ordered a minute’s silence at all matches under its jurisdiction until Sunday, 19 April 2026.
O Homem que secou Pelé. 💙#tweetpastel pic.twitter.com/9BSi7Huhl2
— Os Belenenses (@CFosBelenenses) April 15, 2026
On Vicente lucas’ 90th anniversary, this text was widely circulated on social media.
Today marks 90 years since the birth of the man who neutralised Pelé and a historic figure of Belenenses. Who remembers watching Vicente Lucas play?
Younger brother of Matateu, Vicente Lucas was a central defender born in Mozambique who broke into the Belenenses first team in the 1954–55 season and remained there until he retired.
“I was in Africa and I was 17 when I received a letter from him saying that Belenenses was interested in me. I thought it was a Belenenses club in Lourenço Marques (Maputo), but no, it was the one in Lisbon. One day Américo Tomás (then president of Belenenses, who would later become President of the Portuguese Republic) went there, together with captain Soares da Cunha, who was a director of Belenenses and would later be responsible for the construction of the Restelo Stadium. After hearing people say ‘the guy is good’, they brought me to Lisbon. Just like that, without paying or asking permission from the club I was playing for. They gave 30 contos to my mother, a fortune at the time, told me to be ready on day X and go to the ship to come to Lisbon. I barely said goodbye to my family. I went with one of my older brothers. The ship was full, and there were five of us in a cabin, but I made it to Lisbon. Matateu was waiting for me. He was a good brother, full of joy, the joker in the dressing room,” he recalled to Diário de Notícias in August 2018.
“Belenenses played at the Salésias and had the only grass pitch in Lisbon, and I was used to playing on dirt pitches, barefoot or in boots. I had to adapt to playing on a soft pitch and wearing boots. Even so, Riera saw me training with my brother and said ‘the guy is good, he’s staying’. If it hadn’t been for him I would have been sent back on the same ship that brought me to Lisbon. The ball was still hard. I used to finish matches with a headache…,” he added.
In 12 years wearing the blue shirt, between 1954 and 1966, he made a total of 286 appearances (all as a starter, as substitutions did not exist) and scored 12 goals in the top division, winning the Portuguese Cup in 1959–60 and helping the club finish second in 1954–55 and third on four occasions (1955–56, 1956–57, 1958–59 and 1959–60).
He also earned 20 caps for the Portugal national team, becoming famous for shutting down Pelé in a match against Brazil at the 1966 World Cup, a tournament in which Portugal finished third.
“I ended my career without receiving a single yellow card in 11 years. Then I became ‘Corta Vicente’. At the time, football was king on the radio. In commentary, when describing one of my moves, it was always the same: ‘Corta, Vicente.’ Even today it is a fond way of remembering the player I was. If you tackle or take the ball from Pelé, your career is made, but I was more than that,” he said.
In the 1981–82 season, he briefly coached Belenenses in a few matches during a campaign marked by the club’s first-ever relegation.
Vicente Lucas was born in Mozambique in 1935 and became a prominent figure in Portuguese football after joining Belenenses at 18. His career spanned over a decade, during which he made significant contributions to the club and the national team, including a memorable performance at the 1966 World Cup. Lucas’s ability to neutralize star players like Pelé solidified his reputation as a top defender in the sport.
His journey from Mozambique to Lisbon reflects the historical ties between the two regions, particularly in sports. Lucas’s legacy continues to inspire many in Mozambique and Portugal, highlighting the impact of African players in European football. His passing marks the end of an era
