Alcides Ghiggia, the hero of Uruguay's legendary Maracanazo upset of Brazil in the final game of the 1950 World Cup, has died at age 88.
Ghiggia, who scored the second goal of La Celeste's shock 2-1 victory over heavily favoured Brazil in front of nearly 200,000 spectators at Rio de Janeiro's famed Maracana Stadium, passed away from a heart attack on the 65th anniversary of the triumph.
He was the last surviving Uruguayan player from the match. When he turned 80 he was honored by the Uruguayan congress, still a national hero a half century later.
EL FÚTBOL URUGUAYO DE LUTO. A 65 años del triunfo de Maracaná falleció Alcides Edgardo Ghiggia. pic.twitter.com/GKRTgzYnWQ
- Selección Uruguaya (@AUFseleccion) July 16, 2015
Born December 22, 1926, in Montevideo, Ghiggia played for both Uruguay and Italy's national teams in his career.
As a professional, he spent six years with Uruguayan giants Penarol, then moved to Italy where he played Roma and AC Milan before returning to his homeland to finish his career at Danubio.
Of the goal for which he would forever be known, Ghiggia, in an interview on Brazilian television, famously said: "Only three men have ever silenced the Maracana -- the Pope, Frank Sinatra and me!"
"It was a beautiful what happened" Ghiggia said. "It filled me with pride and was unforgettable. The biggest moment of my life was at the Maracana."
El héroe del Maracanazo, Alcides Ghiggia, murió a 65 años del hito. El homenaje de @FIFAcom > http://t.co/ejTOl1Fv1o pic.twitter.com/NDtBEEJm8H
- FIFA.com en español (@fifacom_es) July 16, 2015
Oscar Tabarez, the current coach of Uruguay's national team, said Ghiggia "meant a lot to Uruguayans."
"It is impressive what that man did," Tabarez said. "What he did in his life, his leadership and his personality."
Ghiggia made 12 international appearances for Uruguay and scored four goals -- all of which came in the 1950 tournament.
He then received five caps for Italy, scoring once, and participated in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, which Brazil won, with the Azzurri.
Ghiggia was visibly overwhelmed when he was honored in 2009 at the Maracana, placing his footprints in a plastic mold along with other greats of the game like Pele, Eusebio and Franz Beckenbauer.
He was outspoken to the end. In the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he criticized Uruguay forward Luis Suarez for biting a player during a World Cup match.
Suarez "plays well but he has done things that are not normal for a player, nor for a soccer game," Ghiggia told The AP. "I think FIFA can sanction him."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.