Why did Pelé never leave Santos? : soccer (4 children) Great answer. I'd also point out that the move to the Cosmos wasn't 'silly' at all -- that team sold out Giants Stadium (which has a bigger capacity than just about any stadium in the UK other than Wembley and Old Trafford). In a lot of ways, the Cosmos did not really represent the way the game worked in the 1970s, but what the game has evolved into today. That is, the Cosmos were the first true big-money team with players from everywhere. To dismiss Pele's going to the Cosmos as a 'silly little move' simply shows a profound lack of understanding of the history of the sport. Nearly as profound a lack of understanding as assuming that the Santos teams of the 1960s and 70s were backwater provincial sides, when in fact Santos then were what Barcelona is now. I don't like to toss around the word 'Euro-snob', but this post is Euro-snobbery at its most acute. I love this topic. Cartola provided a fantastic answer. So we learned: Brazil was globally competitive in football and wages.

Pele was declared an national treasure and could not play for a club outside of Brazil until after he retired and came out of retirement for the Cosmos (at this point well past his prime). 62' and 63' were the years when Santos won back to back Copa Libertadores titles (can be compared to today's Champs League), and they also won the Intercontinental Cup (FIFA Club World Cup of today) those years as well. He was scoring 40, 50, 60 goals in all competitions during these years (over 100 in 1 year if you include friendly game goals). Those are pretty damn dominant years. Pele was 22 and 23 years old during 62' and 63'. Then there were the World Cup titles he helped win. He was nicknamed the King for a reason. The football world today is very different. Talent is still being produced, but the place to play and make money is western Europe. I like to bring up the example of Ronaldinho. The talent he had rivaled Pele's, but he had to leave Brazil to play at the highest level.

He was taken out of his element, got depressed, and fell out of love with football. Now there is Messi. Argentinian born, but was really raised in Barcelona since age 10. He's been in Spain longer then Argentina. Arguably the greatest club player of our time, and possibly of all time. Take him out of his element and into the Argentinian national team, and he's not the same player. Something I will always wonder is what Messi could have accomplished had he elected to play for Spain, instead of Argentina. Pele: The King of Football | Kentake Page Pele: The King of Football Afro-Latino History , Black History , Famous Scorpio , History Makers , Icons , Sports Personality Pelé is considered by many to be the greatest football (soccer) player of all time. Pelé scored 1281 goals in 1363 games, including unofficial friendlies and tour games, for which he was listed in the Guinness World Records for most career goals scored in football. During his playing days, Pelé was for a period the best-paid athlete in the world.

In his native Brazil, he is hailed as a national hero for his accomplishments in football and for his vocal support of policies to improve the social conditions of the poor. When he scored his 1,000th goal he dedicated it to the poor children of Brazil. In 1961, Brazil President Jânio Quadros had Pelé declared a national treasure. During his career, he became known as “The Black Pearl” (A Pérola Negra), “The King of Football” (O Rei do Futebol), “The King Pelé” (O Rei Pelé) or simply “The King” (O Rei). A member of three Brazilian World Cup-champion teams, in 1999, he was voted: “Football Player of the Century” by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS); and “Athlete of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee and Reuters News Agency. Pele was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on 21 October 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil. However, Pelé himself claims that he was born on 23 October. Pelé was the first child of João Ramos and Dona Celeste.

Named after Thomas Edison and nicknamed “Dico,” Pelé moved with his family to the city of Bauru as a young boy. The origin of the “Pelé” nickname is unclear, though he recalled despising it when his friends first referred to him that way. His father, better known as “Dondinho,” struggled to earn a living as a soccer player, and Pelé grew up in poverty. Taught to play by his father, he could not afford a proper football and usually played with either a sock stuffed with newspaper and tied with a string or a grapefruit. As a teenager, Pelé played for several amateur teams in his youth, including Sete de Setembro, Canto do Rio, São Paulinho, and Amériquinha. He eventually joined Bauru Athletic Club juniors coached by Waldemar de Brito, a former member of the Brazilian national soccer team. Pelé led the club to three consecutive São Paulo state youth championships between 1954 and 1956. He also dominated Futebol de Salão (indoor football) competitions in the region and won several championships with local team Radium.

De Brito eventually convinced Pelé’s family to let him leave home and try out for the Santos professional soccer club. In 1956, de Brito took Pelé to Santos, to try out for professional club Santos FC, telling the directors at Santos that the 15-year-old would be “the greatest football player in the world.” Pelé impressed Santos coach Lula during his trial at the Estádio Vila Belmiro, and he signed a professional contract with the club in June 1956. Pelé was highly promoted in the local media as a future superstar. He made his senior team debut on 7 September 1956 at the age of 15 against Corinthians Santo Andre and had an impressive performance in a 7–1 victory. Pelé scored the first of his record 1281 goals in football during the match. He led the league in goals in his first full season. Ten months after signing professionally, Pele was called up to the Brazil national team. The world was officially introduced to Pelé in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

Displaying remarkable speed, athleticism and field vision, the 17-year-old erupted to score three goals in a 5-2 semifinal win over France, then netted two more in the finals, a 5-2 win over the host country. The young superstar received hefty offers to play for European clubs, and Brazilian President Jânio Quadros eventually had Pelé declared a national treasure, making it legally difficult for him to play in another country. Regardless, Santos club ownership ensured its star attraction was well paid by scheduling lucrative exhibition matches with teams around the world. “I arrived hoping to stop a great man, but I went away convinced I had been undone by someone who was not born on the same planet as the rest of us.” —Benfica goalkeeper Costa Pereira following the loss to Santos in 1962. Pelé aggravated a groin injury two games into the 1962 World Cup in Chile, sitting out the final rounds while Brazil went on to claim its second straight title.

After the 1962 World Cup, wealthy European clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United tried to sign him, but the government of Brazil declared Pelé an “official national treasure” to prevent him from being transferred out of the country. Four years later, in England, a series of brutal attacks by opposing defenders again forced him to the sidelines with leg injuries, and Brazil was bounced from the World Cup after one round. Despite the disappointment on the world stage, the legend of Pelé continued to grow. In the late 1960s, the two factions in the Nigerian Civil War reportedly agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play in an exhibition game in Lagos. The 1970 World Cup in Mexico marked a triumphant return to glory for Pelé and Brazil. Headlining a formidable squad, Pelé scored four goals in the tournament, including one in the final to give Brazil a 4-1 victory over Italy. Pelé announced his retirement from soccer in 1974, but he was lured back to the field the following year to play for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League, and temporarily helped make the NASL a big attraction.

He played his final game in an exhibition between New York and Santos in October 1977, competing for both sides, and retired with a total of 1,281 goals in 1,363 games. Retirement did little to diminish the public profile of Pelé, who remained a popular pitchman and active in many professional arenas. In 1978, Pelé was awarded the International Peace Award for his work with UNICEF. He has also served as Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport and a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment. Pelé was named FIFA’s “Co-Player of the Century” in 1999, along with Argentine Diego Maradona. To many, his accomplishments on the soccer field will never be equaled, and virtually all great athletes in the sport are measured against the Brazilian who once made the world stop to watch him play.

Pele : Video : World Class Football Soccer Player : Biography Get more on Pele from Amazon.co.uk Edson Arantes do Nascimento[2], KBE (born October 23, 1940 in Trï¿½s Coraï¿½ï¿½es, Brazil), best known by his nickname Pelï¿½, is a former Brazilian football player, rated by many as the greatest footballer of all time. He was given the title of Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee[3] and jointly received FIFA Player of the Century chosen by officials at the organisation, shared with Diego Maradona who won the people's vote.[4] In his native Brazil, Pelï¿½ is hailed as a national hero. He is known for his accomplishments and contribution to the game,[5] in addition to being officially declared the football ambassador of the world by FIFA and a national treasure by the Brazilian government. He is also acknowledged for his vocal support of policies to improve the social conditions of the poor (when he scored his 1,000th goal he dedicated it to the poor children of Brazil).

[6] During his career, he became known as "The King of Football" (O Rei do Futebol), "The King Pelï¿½" (O Rei Pelï¿½) or simply "The King" (O Rei). He is also a member of the American National Soccer Hall of Fame. Video>> Pele <<Video Pele - Gossip Rocks Pele Biography Edson Arantes do Nascimento, KBE (born October 23, 1940 in TrÃªs CoraÃ§Ãµes, Brazil), best known by his nickname PelÃ©, is a former Brazilian football player. In his native Brazil, PelÃ© is hailed as a national hero. He is known for his accomplishments and contribution to the game, in addition to being officially declared the football ambassador of the world by FIFA and a national treasure by the Brazilian government. He is also acknowledged for his vocal support of policies to improve the social conditions of the poor (when he scored his 1,000th goal he dedicated it to the poor children of Brazil).

During his career, he became known as "The King of Football" (O Rei do Futebol) or simply "The King PelÃ©" (O Rei PelÃ©). He was given the title of Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and received a FIFA award for best footballer of the 20th century, after being voted by the members of the football commission of the FIFA in 2000, to choose the best football player of all time and came in second best footballer of the 20th century after the legendary Diego Maradona who was voted FIFA award of Player of the century (People's choice) after being voted in 2000 in an international internet fan poll as the best football player of all time. He is also a member of the American National Soccer Hall of Fame. PelÃ© made his debut for Santos in 1956, scoring one goal in a 7-1 friendly victory over Corinthians. When the 1957 season started, PelÃ© was given a starting place in the first team and, at the age of just 16, became the top scorer in the league.

Just ten months after signing professionally, the teenager was called up to the Brazil national team. After the World Cup in 1962, wealthy European clubs offered massive fees to sign the young player, but the government of Brazil declared PelÃ© an "official national treasure" to prevent him from being transferred out of the country. During the second half, Cosmos striker Ramon Mifflin, who had replaced PelÃ© when he switched sides at halftime, scored on a deflected cross, and the Cosmos won the match 2-1. After the match, PelÃ© was embraced by the Cosmos players, including longtime rival Giorgio Chinaglia, and then ran around the field while holding an American flag in his left hand and a Brazilian flag in his right hand. PelÃ© was soon lifted by several Cosmos players and carried around the field. It is often claimed that PelÃ© is the most prolific scorer in football history. According to FIFA, PelÃ© ended his career with a total of 1281 goals in 1363 matches. However, many of these goals were scored in non-competitive club matches.

For instance, if one counts non-competitive goals when compiling the total of goals scored by Gerd MÃ¼ller, he would have a career total of 1455 goals in 1204 games. As non-competitive games are rarely counted in player's statistics it is unknown how many players could have passed PelÃ©'s mark, but 1281 goals is certainly one of the highest totals achieved by a professional footballer. If one looks only at competitive goals, then PelÃ© is the second highest scorer of all time behind Josef Bican. Bican never attempted to draw attention to his record, and when questioned about this, he quipped "who'd have believed me if I said I'd scored five times as many goals as PelÃ©?" Hublot Loves Football Hublot Loves Football VISIT HUBLOT.COM Known worldwide as Pelé, Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, a city in the Minas Gerais state of Brazil.

The son of João Ramos do Nascimento (known as Dondinho) and Dona Celeste Arantes, Pelé grew up in Bauru, in the state of São Paulo. The name Edson came from the American inventor Thomas Edison, although his family nicknamed him Dico. He did not receive the nickname “Pelé” until his school days, a name he didn’t like being called at all, however it stuck and became a universally recognized moniker. His father Dondinho, a former football player, was Pelé’s mentor, trainer and all- around hero to him at home and on the field. For young Pelé, football was the only way out of poverty and he started training daily using a sock stuffed with newspapers instead of a real ball, which the family could not even afford at the time. In his path to becoming a legend in the sport, Pelé accomplished what no one else had ever done. His journey on the field can be summarized with so many highlights and memorable images, but what remains and stands out are his trophies and records.

After the World Cup in 1962, the most prestigious European clubs tried to sign the “Black Pearl”, but the government of Brazil declared Pelé an “official national treasure” to prevent him from being transferred out of the country. As of today, he is the greatest football scorer of all times with 1283 goals. At the World Cup 1958 in Sweden, Pelé was the youngest ever to play in, score in, and eventually win the World Cup. He scored the only goal of the match against Wales in the quarterfinals to help Brazil advance to the semifinals, and he scored two goals in the final as Brazil beat Sweden 5-2 for the Jules Rimet trophy. Four years later, Brazil confirmed its supremacy in football in Chile by winning its second consecutive title. At the end of the World Cup 1970 in Mexico, Pelé was carried in triumph on the shoulders of his teammates as he celebrated his third World Cup championship. This would also be his last one, out of four which he played in and he remains the only player to this day to have won three World Cup titles (1958, 1962, 1970).

Classic Fusion Chronograph Pelé has been developed by Hublot to pay tribute to Pelé – The King of Football. The rubber bracelet in black calf features soccer ball embossing with yellow seams and Pelé’s logo is stamped on the sapphire case back of this watch. An amazing timepiece, for an amazing player! 25.CM.0179.VR.PEL14 Case in black ceramic Bezel in black ceramic Sapphire dial with black plated indexes Sapphire case back with Pelé logo Aero Chronograph movement with number 10 in lacquered yellow, in tribute to the fantastic number 10 of the Brazilian Team Sapphire case back with Pelé logo SCROLL TO DISCOVER Pelé - TvWiki, the free encyclopedia Pelé (Redirected from Pele ) This article is about the soccer player. Pele redirects here. For other articles with the name Pele see Pele (disambiguation) . Pelé Brazil 92 (77) * Professional club caps and goals </br> counted for the domestic league only and </br> correct as of {{{pcupdate}}}.</br> ** National team caps and goals correct </br> as of {{{ntupdate}}}.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, KBE (born October 23, 1940), nicknamed Pelé, a Brazilian , is a former football player and thought by many to be the finest player of all time. Often considered the complete attacking player, he was completely two-footed , a prolific finisher, exceptional at dribbling and passing, and was a remarkably good tackler for a forward . He was also famed for his speed and strength on the ball. Over the course of his career, Pelé scored over a thousand goals and won three World Cups . Since his full retirement in 1977 he has served as an ambassador for the sport. Contents [ edit ] Biography Edson was born in Três Corações , Minas Gerais , Brazil , the son of Fluminense footballer João Ramos do Nascimento, also known as Dondinho . He was named after American inventor Thomas Edison , and did not receive the nickname "Pelé" until his school days. He originally disliked the nickname, but the more he complained the more he was called by it. Later in life, when reflecting that the world came to know the name, he stated his belief that it was chosen for him by God.

Growing up in poverty on the streets of Bauru , São Paulo , he could not afford a football and usually played with either a sock stuffed with papers or a grapefruit . He was given his first leather ball on his sixth birthday by his father's teammate, Sosa. At the age of eleven, Pelé was scouted by Brazilian legend Waldemar de Brito and was invited to join de Brito's amateur team, Clube Atlético Bauru. In 1956, Pele's mentor took him to the city of São Paulo , to try out for professional club Santos . De Brito told the directors at Santos that the 15-year-old would be "the greatest football player in the world". Pelé was offered professional terms and scored four goals in his first league game. When the new season started, Pelé was given a starting place in the first team and, at the age of just sixteen, became the top scorer in the league. Just ten months after signing professionally, the teenager was called up to the Brazilian national team .

In 1958 , Pelé became the youngest ever World Cup winner in Sweden at 17, scoring two goals in the final as Brazil crushed Sweden 5–2 in Stockholm . He played in three more Brazilian World Cup teams in 1962 , 1966 and 1970 , two of which Brazil won (1962 and 1970). Although his contributions were limited in the 1962 and 1966 campaigns because of injuries inflicted by the dirty play of opposition players, the 1970 tournament in Mexico was to be Pelé's last. The 1970 team, featuring famous players like Rivelino , Jairzinho , Gérson , and Tostão , is often considered to be the greatest team ever. Brazil defeated Italy 4–1 in the final, with Pelé scoring one and gloriously setting up Carlos Alberto for another in what some still consider to be the finest ever World Cup. Pelé's technique and deft touch combined with his dribbling skills and scoring ability cannot be overstated. His most spectacular signature move was probably the " bicycle kick ".

He scored over twelve hundred career goals in all competitions, the biggest haul by far among famous players. After his retirement from Brazilian football on October 2, 1974, he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League . A reported 7-million-dollar contract for three years made him the highest paid soccer player of the North American Soccer League. During the three seasons playing for the Cosmos he was named in the annual "NASL First Team": the 11 best players of a particular season. He was also named as the league's most valuable player in 1976. His lucrative contract for Cosmos meant that Pele had to play in the regular US-based NASL season but also travel the World playing many exhibition games. During the 3 years Pele played for Cosmos, he played matches in countries such as: China , Japan , Sweden , Puerto Rico , Bermuda and Uganda . In his final year as a professional player, the NY Cosmos won the 1977 NASL Championship. During that season Pele was joined by fellow Brazilian Carlos Alberto and "the Kaiser", Franz Beckenbauer .

He played his last game as a professional in a friendly on October 1, 1977 in front of a capacity crowd at Giants Stadium against his old club, Santos; he played the first half with the Cosmos and the second half with Santos. The exhibition game was sold out six weeks beforehand. Pele did appear in a few friendly games for the Cosmos after he retired in 1977. Due to falling attendances the Cosmos did try to bring Pele out of retirement a second time, but Pele declined. In 1995, President Cardoso appointed Pelé to the position of Minister of Sports. Pelé is a long-standing contributor for children's rights at UNICEF and acts as the figurehead of a charity for erectile dysfunction . Pelé is certainly one of the most famous men in football, with his nickname being recognized even by those unfamiliar with the sport. In 2005, Pelé drew international media attention due to the imprisonment of Edson Cholbi Nascimento , his son and ex-goalkeeper of Santos FC , who was arrested in an operation to dismantle a drug gang in southeastern Brazil.

Nascimento, 35, was arrested along with some 50 other people after an eight-month investigation into a cocaine trafficking operation in the port city of Santos . [ edit ] Accolades Pelé is in third place in the list of all-time top goalscorers in World Cup play, with 12 goals, and was part of three World Cup winning teams, although he did not play in the 1962 final through injury and did not recieve a medal. He ended his career with a total of 1281 goals in 1363 matches, becoming the highest goalscorer in professional football ever. In his 92 appearances for the Brazilian team , he scored 77 goals. He was awarded Brazil's Gold Medal for outstanding services to the sport, before becoming Sports Minister in 1994. In 1997, he was given an honorary British knighthood . In 1992, Pelé was appointed a United Nations Ambassador for Ecology and the Environment. In 1995, he was appointed an Ambassador for UNESCO at the Goodwill Games . He was voted athlete of the century by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1999.

In December 2000, Pelé was named Footballer of the Century by a "Family of Football" committee appointed by FIFA , after a web poll favored Diego Maradona . (For details of the controversial process, see Sports Illustrated Article ). [ edit ] Trivia In 1970, the two factions involved in a civil war in Nigeria agreed for a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos . Pelé is the first sports figure featured on a video game with the Atari 2600 game Pelé's Soccer. He also played in a friendly match with the Lebanese club Nejmeh in 1974 (see Football in Lebanon ). After the World Cup in 1962, wealthy European clubs offered massive fees to sign the young player, but the government of Brazil declared Pelé an official national treasure to prevent him from being transferred out of the country. Pelé was one of the first black people to be featured on the cover of Life Magazine .

Pelé has presented trophies at the Brazilian Grand Prix race several times, but in 2002 he was waving the checkered flag to signify the end of the race and missed the race winner Michael Schumacher crossing the line. Therefore, Takuma Sato who crossed the line a lap down shortly afterwards, could have claimed to be the race winner. The respected F1 Rejects website dubbed Pelé 'Reject of the Race' as a result. Pelé has published several bestselling autobiographies, starred in documentary and semi-documentary films and composed various musical pieces, including the entire soundtrack for the film 'Pelé' in 1977. Tarcisio Burgnich , the famous Italian defender who marked Pelé in the 1970 World Cup Finals: "I told myself before the game, 'he's made of skin and bones just like everyone else' — but I was wrong". Edson Arantes Dos Nascimento or simply known as PELE | JamiiForums | The Home of Great Thinkers You are browsing this site as a guest.

It takes 2 minutes to CREATE AN ACCOUNT and less than 1 minute to LOGIN Edson Arantes Dos Nascimento or simply known as PELE Trophy Points: 280 1958 World Cup: A legend is born A 17-year-old Pele, left, shot to international fame at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. (AFP/Getty Images) The 1958 World Cup in Sweden marked a new era in the tournament. Although the festivities in Switzerland four years earlier were televised, the 1958 competition was the first to receive international television coverage. For the first time, people from all corners of the globe had the opportunity to watch soccer's brightest stars compete in the game's showcase event. International television and the World Cup combined to create the perfect stage from which the career of the most recognized athlete of the 20th century and the greatest soccer player of all time was launched: Edson Arantes do Nascimento, more famously known as Pele.

QUICK FACTS Number of participating teams: 16 Top scorer: France's Just Fontaine (13 goals) Number of games: 35 Average goals per game: 3.60 Highest scoring game: France's 7-3 win over Paraguay on June 8. Total attendance: 868,000 Average attendance: 24,800 ANOTHER FORMAT The sixth World Cup saw a record number of countries (55) take part in the qualifying round. Several perennial heavyweights (Italy, Spain and Uruguay) never made it out of the qualifiers while the Soviet Union graced the World Cup for the first time. Also debuting were Scotland and Northern Ireland. Still trying to perfect the competition, FIFA flirted with another format. The 16 teams were still divided into four, but this time (unlike in Switzerland) all the teams in a group played each other and extra time was not used to settle draws. The top two would move on to the quarter-finals, with a one-game playoff used when the second- and third-place teams finished tied on points.

Action from all four groups kicked off on June 8 and there were plenty of surprises, perhaps none more so than in Group 1 where Northern Ireland stunned Czechoslovakia 1-0 in Halmstad. The Irish finished second after upsetting the Czechs again in a playoff, while West Germany, the champions, topped the group on the strength of a 3-1 win over Argentina in Malmo. In Group 2, France began the tournament with a bang, a 7-3 win over Paraguay in Narrowing. Just Fontaine, the French centre-forward, scored a hat trick. It was sign of things to come. France rebounded from a loss to Yugoslavia with a 2-1 win over Scotland in its last game to win the group. Yugoslavia finished second. Over in Group 3, the host Swedes defeated Mexico and Hungary to win the group. Wales earned three draws and then stunned Hungary 2-1 in the playoff to finish second. These were not the same Magical Magyars that dazzled spectators and opponents alike four years earlier in Switzerland.

Ferenc Puskas, Sandor Kocsis and Zoltan Czibor fled their homeland for Spain in 1956 after the Soviet invasion, never to play for Hungary again. MATCH OF THE TOURNAMENT: Brazil's 5-2 victory over France in the semifinals. The two teams battled evenly in the opening 45 minutes, and Brazil sat on a precarious 2-1 lead at halftime. In the second half, the Brazilians put on a devastatingly entertaining display as Pele scored a hat trick within 20 minutes. Unbelievable. MAN OF THE TOURNAMENT: Pele. Yes, Just Fontaine scored a World Cup record 13 goals, but nobody captured the imagination of fans in Sweden like Pele. With six goals to his credit, including a pair in the final, the 17-year-old kid who grew up in poverty announced his presence to the world. SPOTLIGHT: When Just Fontaine went to Sweden, the centre-forward was not a part of France's first team.

He only made it into the starting lineup when Rene Bliard hurt his ankle in training before the tournament even started and was forced to return home to France Given the chance to start for his country, the Morocco-born Fontaine ran riot in Sweden, bagging a hat trick in France's opening game, a 7-3 win over Paraguay, and capped off his World Cup performance with a four-goal outburst against West Germany in the third-place match. In just six games, Fontaine, fed sublime passes all tournament long by the incomparable Raymond Koa in midfield, scored a World Cup record 13 goals, a mark that is not likely ever to be broken. AND ANOTHER THING: Brazil introduced its innovative 4-2-4 system at the 1958 World Cup, a lineup that differed from the more traditional Pyramid (2-3-5) and W-M (3-4-3) formations employed in soccer at the time. Under the 4-2-4 scheme, Brazil played with two centre-forwards who were supported in attack by two wingers.

By having two attackers play up front in the middle, Brazil forced opposing teams to switch their defensive lineup, as they could no longer play with just one central defender. Although Brazil's 4-2-4 featured four players in defence, the system was hardly defensive. Aside from their defensive duties, the two defenders on the wings were obligated to move forward and join the offensive rush. Thus, the formation became 2-4-4 with eight players in attack when Brazil had the ball, allowing the Brazilians to maintain pressure on their opponents and dictate the pace of the game. The key was to have two outside defenders who were quick - as they had to fall back into defence when their opponents were attacking - and had a knack for creating scoring chances. The only overt weakness of the system was that it left Brazil dangerously under-populated in midfield when the opposition was attacking. Shortly after Brazil's World Cup victory in Sweden, most nations switched over to the 4-2-4 system. In Group 4, Brazil opened with a 3-0 win over Austria in Uddevalla. A 0-0 draw with England followed before they won the group with a 2-0 victory over the Soviet Union.

The Soviets took second thanks to a 1-0 playoff win against England. Having missed the first two games due to injury, a 17-year-old Pele made his World Cup debut on June 15 in Gothenburg against the Soviets. That game also saw the debut of the talented winger Garrincha, dubbed the "Little Bird," a vital cog in the Brazilian team that would dominate world soccer for years to come. With six goals in the first round, Fontaine picked up where he left off in the quarter-finals by scoring twice in France's 4-0 win over Northern Ireland. West Germany disposed of Yugoslavia 1-0 thanks to Helmut Rahn's goal, while Sweden defeated the Soviets 2-0. Unquestionably, the best game of the quarter-final round took place in Gothenburg between Brazil and Wales. Even with centre-forward John Charles - a star with Italian side Juventus at the time - out injured, the dogged Welsh defence kept Brazil in check for the better part of the game. Finally, the young Pele took hold of the contest and scored - his first ever goal in a World Cup - in the 73rd minute and Brazil won 1-0.

Pele himself later described it as the most important goal of his career. The Swedes continued on their march towards the final, bouncing the West Germans from the competition with a 3-1 victory in the semifinals. The other semifinal saw the French, led by the goal-scoring exploits of Fontaine, take on the Brazilians in Solna. Brazil scored in the first minute, but Fontaine equalized eight minutes later. Didi scored with six minutes left in the half to give Brazil a 2-1 lead. From there, Pele took over, scoring three goals within a 20-minute span in the second half. France added a late meaningless goal, but Brazil romped to an entertaining 5-2 victory on the shoulders of their emerging young star. Fontaine saved his best performance for last, scoring four times in France's 6-3 win over West Germany in the third-place game, to bring his tournament total to 13, a World Cup record that still stands today. THE FINAL Following a day of heavy rain, Brazil and Sweden walked out onto a slippery field before 50,000 fans jammed into Stockholm's Rasunda stadium and millions more around the world watching on television.

Brazilian manager Vicente Feola made one key change, taking out defender Newton de Sordi and inserting for the first time in the competition Djalma Santos, a member of the 1954 World Cup team. It proved an astute move: Djalma and Nilton Santos brilliantly combined to defuse the dynamic Swedish scoring duo of Lennart Skoglund and Kurt Hamrin. Everybody waited with baited breath to see what kind of magic the Brazilians would conjure. The consensus was that Pele and his cohorts would easily samba their way through the Swedish defence within minutes. Instead, it was the Swedes who struck first, Gunnar Gren feeding a pass to Nils Liedholm who skipped past two defenders and fired the ball into the right-hand corner of the net in the fourth minute. It was the first time Brazil trailed in the tournament. The beast sufficiently agitated, Brazil instantly came to life and levelled the affair five minutes later when Garrincha beat his marker and delivered a pass into the middle for Vava who scored. The same pair hooked up at the 30-minute mark, Vava scoring an almost identical goal.

Pele gave Brazil a two-goal cushion in the 55th minute when he netted a stunningly breathtaking goal - standing in a crowd in the penalty area with his back towards the goal, he trapped a high pass with his chest, knocked the ball over his head while being marked by a defender, whirled around and volleyed it past Swedish goalkeeper Karl Svensson. A legend was born. Winger Mario Zagalo, who went on to coach Brazil to victory at the 1970 World Cup, made it 4-1 13 minutes later. Agne Simonsson scored with 10 minutes left in regulation for Sweden but Pele bagged his second of the game in the 89th minute, rising majestically through the air to score on a header from a Zagallo cross. After two consecutive disappointments - the shocking loss to Uruguay on home soil at the Maracana in 1950 and bowing out to Hungary in the quarter-finals in 1954 - Brazil had fulfilled its destiny: champions of the world. As Pele and the rest of the team were in tears, the classy and gracious Stockholm crowd applauded the new world champions.

Sportingly, Brazil did a lap of honour around the field carrying a Swedish flag. The world had been introduced to the mercurial talents of Pele, and the soccer dynasty known as the Brazilian national team was born. Soccer would never be the same again. FOOD FOR THOUGHT Brazil's 1958 victory is still the only time a South American country has won the World Cup on European soil. Pele is one of only two players to have scored in four World Cups (1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970). West Germany's Uwe Seeler (1958-1970) is the other. At 17 years and 239 days, Pele is the youngest player to have ever scored at the World Cup when he found the back of the net against Wales in the quarter-finals. He is also the youngest player ever to win the World Cup and is the only man to win three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970).

The 1958 World Cup marked the only time all four teams from Great Britain - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - qualified for the same tournament. After Argentina crashed out of the competition in the first round, they were "welcomed" back home in Buenos Aires by angry fans at the airport who pelted them with garbage. Brazil and England battled to a 0-0 draw in the opening round in the first goal-less game ever at the World Cup. Brazilian centre-forward Jose Altafini was nicknamed "Mazzola" because he bore a striking resemblance to former Italian captain Valentino Mazzola. Altafini would play for Italy at the 1962 World Cup in Chile.

Question: After the World Cup in 1962, the government of Brazil declared which player an "official national treasure" to prevent him from being transferred out of the country when wealthy European clubs tried to sign him?
Answer: Pel