Google Doodle celebrates fancy footwork of Brazilian footballer Leonidas da Silva

 

Melanie Leather
Friday 06 September 2013 02:11 EDT
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Brazilian forward Leonidas (L) controls the ball in front of a Swedish defender during the World Cup soccer match for third place between Brazil and Sweden 19 June 1938 in Bordeaux.
Brazilian forward Leonidas (L) controls the ball in front of a Swedish defender during the World Cup soccer match for third place between Brazil and Sweden 19 June 1938 in Bordeaux. (Getty Images)

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Today's Google Doodle features a frame-by-frame sketch of Brazilian footballer Leonidas da Silva performing a 'bicycle kick' on what would have been his 100th birthday.

Click on the gallery above to see a collection of recent Doodles.

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1913, the player was seen as the inventor of the bicycle kick after first using it in a 1932 match between his club Bonsucesso and Carioca. The unusual move caught on and was most notably used during his time playing for São Paulo in a 8-0 victory over Juventus.

He played for Brazil's national team 19 times, scoring 21 goals and continued to delight spectators with his acrobatic displays on the pitch until his retirement from the game in 1950.

In his later years he managed São Paulo before quitting football to become a radio reporter. He died in 2004 after complications arising from Alzheimer's disease.

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