Brazilian World Cup legend Jairzinho takes a shot: Michael Donald's best photograph

Brazilian World Cup legend Jairzinho takes a shot: Michael Donald's best photograph describes how photographer Michael Donald built a project around surviving World Cup final scorers, using Jairzinho’s portrait as a centerpiece. Donald noted that in 2007 he found only 58 players had scored in a World Cup final and just 34 were still alive, prompting a multi-country documentary pitch that ultimately sent his team to 13 countries over four years. The portrait features Jair Ventura Filho, known as Jairzinho, who scored Brazil’s third goal in their 1970 Mexico City final, a 4-1 win over Italy. Donald photographed Jairzinho in the Manguinhos neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, at a public ground, where Jairzinho runs a football school. During the shoot, the crew relied on security amid strict local routines and warnings from the area’s power structure.