Vanderley Lázaro 1947 – 2026

Biography

Vanderlei Lázaro was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a left-back. Born June 20, 1947, in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, he began his career with Nacional de Uberaba in 1967, joined Corinthians in 1968, and then spent a decade with Cruzeiro from 1968 to 1978, making 538 appearances and scoring 14 goals. With Cruzeiro he won the 1976 Copa Libertadores and multiple Campeonato Mineiro titles, and he was part of the Brazil squad at the 1975 Copa América. He was inducted into the Cruzeiro Hall of Fame in 2012. After retiring, he owned an ice cream shop in the center of Belo Horizonte. He died November 9, 2026, in Belo Horizonte, aged 79.