Brazil mourns 1998 world cup runner-up Ze Carlos at 56
The former Brazilian footballer, Jose Carlos de Almeida, known as "Ze Carlos", and runner-up in the 1998 World Cup, passed away on Friday at the age of 56 due to a massive heart attack, according to his former club, FC Sao Paulo.
Jose Carlos de Almeida, also called "Ze Carlos", spent his entire career with Brazilian clubs and played as a defender.
In the national team, he played a singular match, replacing the suspended Cafu in the World Cup semi-final in France in 1998 against the Netherlands.
The "Canarinhos" won that match after a penalty shootout, but lost to the tournament hosts 3-0 in the final.
"The club expresses profound sorrow over the death of 56-year-old Ze Carlos and announces official mourning. He was a right-back for the Tricolor team in winning the Sao Paulo Championship title in 1998, in which he also played for Brazil in the World Cup," wrote the Brazilian club FC Sao Paulo in a statement.
The memorable final of 1998
The final match of the 1998 FIFA World Cup took place on 12th July 1998 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of the French capital, Paris.
It was contested between the host nation, France, and the defending champions, Brazil. The referee for this match was Said Belqola from Morocco.
For the first time in history, the French won the World Cup, defeating the Brazilians 3-0 with two goals from Zinedine Zidane and one from Emmanuel Petit. Thus, they claimed the FIFA World Cup.
