Dondinho

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Ramos and the second or paternal family name is Nascimento.

João Ramos do Nascimento (2 October 1917 – 16 November 1996), nicknamed Dondinho, was a Brazilian footballer who played as a centre forward. He was the father, mentor and trainer of Pelé.^[1] During his own playing career, Dondinho played for a number of clubs, including Atlético Mineiro.^[2] He became known as "Maleável" due to his ability to score headers.

Dondinho

Dondinho playing for Atletico Mineiro, c. 1941
Personal information
Full name	João Ramos do Nascimento
Date of birth	2 October 1917
Place of birth	Campos Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Date of death	16 November 1996 (aged 79)
Place of death	São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position	Striker
Youth career
1933–1935	Atlético Mineiro
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Yuracan-MG
	Hepacaré [pt]
1940	Atlético Mineiro
1940–1942	Atlético Três Corações [pt]
1942–1944	Fluminense-MG
1944	Sport São Lourenço-MG
1944–1946	Fluminense-MG
1946–1952	Bauru
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

In 1933 Dondinho joined Atletico Mineiro playing for its youth section until 1935. He then started his senior career with Yuracan in the Itajuba championship. In 1940 he returned to Atletico Mineiro, but did not play a lot after suffering a serious knee injury.

Record

In 1938 Dondinho scored 5 goals with headers in Yuracan's 6–2 win against their arch-rivals Smart Futebol Clube in the 1939 regional Interior Championship of Itajubá, Minas Gerais.^[3][4] His record has not been broken ever since by any player in the world while his son Pelé was aiming to break it during his career. As he stated in 2015 this was one of his biggest regrets.^[5]

Death and tributes

He died of heart failure at the age of 79, on November 16, 1996.

On September 15, 2012, the statue "Monumento ao Dondinho" was erected in the João Ramos do Nascimento Municipal Park in Bauru. The approximately 5 meter statue depicts Dondinho and Pelé as children. The artist used cement, plaster and iron and created the work in less than 2 months.

Honors

• 1939 Itajubense Football Championship (Sociedade Desportiva Yuracan Futebol Clube)
• 1941 Guaraína Cup (Atlético Clube Três Corações)
• 1946 Amateur Champion of the state of São Paulo (Bauru Atlético Clube)

In popular culture

Filmography

• 1965: O Rei Pelé
• 2004: Pelé Eterno
• 2016: Pelé: Birth of a Legend