Domingos da Guia

Who was Domingos da Guia?

Domingos Antônio da Guia, nicknamed "the Divine Master" was a Brazilian footballer. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in Flamengo and Corinthians history, as well as the all time best Brazilian defender.

He quickly rose to fame as one of Bangu's key players between 1929–1932. Despite the fact Bangu had a history of fielding black players Domingos might have witnessed racism in football. After Bangu, Domingos moved to Uruguay's Nacional de Montevideo for a season, before brief periods at Vasco da Gama, Boca Juniors and then finding a home at Rio giants Flamengo. A brief spell at Corinthians left Domingos to return to his beloved Bangu where he stay until he retired in 1948.

Domingos also enjoyed a successful international career, getting 30 caps for Brazil. He came to the world's attention in the 1938 FIFA World Cup finals, where he was the linchpin of Brazil's defence. Domingo's son Ademir da Guia also played for Bangu 1959–1961 before becoming an idol at São Paulo's Palmeiras.