Last surviving player from 1958 World Cup final dies aged 89
Kurt Hamrin (left) lost to Pele’s (right) Brazil in the 1958 World Cup final
Kurt Hamrin, the last surviving player from the 1958 World Cup final, has died aged 89.
The Sweden midfielder, who spent the majority of his career in Italy, scored 17 goals in 32 appearances for his country.
Hamrin, known as Kurre, played in the 1958 World Cup final on home soil, when Sweden were beaten 5-2 by Brazil.
“Swedish football has lost one of its greats,” said the Swedish football federation.
“It wasn’t just the track record, the goals, the passes and the hard work on the right wing that made ‘Kurre’ a legend who was never forgotten. He was a loyal and popular person wherever he played.
“Swedish football remembers Kurre Hamrin with great warmth and gratitude. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones right now.”
At the 1958 World Cup, Hamrin scored for Sweden in their quarter-final win over the Soviet Union and their semi-final victory against West Germany, but they were beaten by a Brazil side that included Pele, Garrincha and Mario Zagallo.
The highlight of Hamrin’s club career came in 1969 when he lifted the European Cup with AC Milan as they beat Ajax 4-1, for the second of the club’s seven triumphs in the competition.
During stints with AC Milan, Fiorentina, Juventus, Padova, and Napoli, Hamrin scored 190 Serie A goals, making him ninth in the league’s all-time scoring charts.