Many consider Niton Santos the strongest left back ever.

Nicknamed "A Enciclopédia" (the Encyclopaedia) for his incomparable technique, his tactical knowledge above the average and his great fair play on the pitch, Nilton Santos always played at Botafogo FR, the club where he started his footballing career in 1948, when he was already 21.

He was discovered by chance, while he was on service as an Air Force official. He started as a forward, and maybe he owes his great technical skill to it, but then Carlito Rocha and Zezé Moreira, respectively manager and coach of Botafogo FR, turned him into a back. The first halfback who was able to attack starting from backline was born, maybe, from the idea to move Nilton Santos backward.

With “Fogão” (Botafogo FR’s nickname) he won four Rio de Janeiro State leagues (in 1948, the first one after 13 years, then in 1957, 1961 and 1962), two Rio-São Paulo tournaments (in 1962 and 1964), a Copa América (in 1949) and the Pan-American Games (in 1952) thanks also to the contribution of other champions such as legendary Garrincha, Didì, Amarildo and Zagallo.

He made his debut with the Brazilian national selection in 1949, in the Copa América victory against Columbia (5-0) and only one year later he played the first of the four World Cups with the Seleção. After the unlucky experiences (in Uruguay) in 1950 and (in Switzerland) in 1954, Nilton Santos took part in the victorious campaigns in Sweden in 1958 (unforgettable his goal against Switzerland that he scored starting from his team’s half with the ball stuck at his foot) and in Chile in 1962, those were the first two world titles gained in Brazil’s football history.

With right back Djalma Santos he formed one of the strongest defensive pairs in the history of football. At that time the technical committee of Brazil, that had played mainly an offensive football till then, thanks to two Santos’ performances, understood the importance of a solid defence to be able to win. In 1962 he won the World Cup in Chile when he was 37, the second oldest player to be able to do it after Dino Zoff (40).

On 16 December 1964, against EC Bahía, he played his last match with the jersey of Botafogo FR and set the unbelievable record of 718 matches played and 11 goals scored from 1948 to 1964.

In 1998 he was chosen by the journalists from all over the world to be part of the century’s best team.

In March 2004 Nilton Santos was named by his former team-mate Pelé in the FIFA 100, the special list including the 125 strongest living players.

In 2006 the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) mentioned him with Elias Figueroa, José Nasazzi, Héctor Chumpitaz and Daniel Passarella as the best five South American defenders ever. An absolutely great player worldwide.