He was the goalscoring goalkeeper whose record of finding the net was so good it put most outfield players to shame.
A world champion with Brazil in 2002 and a winner of 18 major titles with Sao Paulo, Rogerio Ceni’s long and successful career came to an end Sunday.
And it’s a testament to his goalscoring prowess that neither that World Cup success or his haul of silverware will likely be the achievements for which Ceni will be best remembered.
Instead, the 42-year-old, who made his Sao Paulo debut in 1993, will be revered for finding the net 131 times in over 1,200 matches — a record that left him with a ratio of at least one goal in every 10 games — during a career which has spanned three decades.
Ceni became the first goalkeeper to score 100 goals and his talent for finding the net from penalties and free-kicks has made him famous among football fans the world over.
Leading the tributes to Ceni following what should have been his final match Sunday was fellow 2002 World Cup winner and two-time World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, who took to Twitter to hail his compatriot as a model athlete.
Ceni was forced to miss Sunday’s meeting with Goais due to injury, depriving fans of the chance to see him score one final time.
Capped 16 times by Brazil, Ceni first scored for Sao Paulo in 1997 with his final goal coming in a 3-0 win over Red Bull Brazil in April this year.
In all, Ceni played 23 seasons in Brazil’s top flight.
An event to honor the iconic stopper will take place at Sao Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium Friday.