Brazil v Sweden, 1958
Garrincha and a teenage Pele star as Brazil make history and win World Cup for the first time
The 1958 World Cup Final in Sweden set many records: the first time a non-European team had won the tournament in Europe; the first occasion a Final had been played between teams from different continents; the most goals scored in a Final; the biggest winning margin; the oldest player, Nils Liedholm, to score in a Final. And then, of course, there was also the youngest player to score in a Final, Pele.
At 17 years and 249 days old, Edson Arantes di Nascimento made the world sit up and take notice of his incredible talent. However, Pele wasn’t the best player on the pitch – that accolade went to Garrincha, the “little bird” on the right wing for Brazil, who set up the first two goals as well as hitting a post and having a shot tipped onto the crossbar.
Managed by an Englishman, George Raynor, the host nation went ahead after just three minutes through Liedholm, who was 102 days short of his 36th birthday. But with Garrincha on fire, Brazil were soon back in the game and led at halftime with Vava applying the finishing touch from close range to two almost identical Garrincha crosses.
Ten minutes into the second-half, Pele produced a wonderful piece of skill to extend Brazil’s lead, flicking the ball over a defender inside the penalty area and meeting the dropping ball with a firsttime volley beyond Swedish goalkeeper Kalle Svensson.
Mario Zagallo, who worked tirelessly up and down the left flank, scored Brazil’s fourth before Agne Simonsson, set up by Gunnar Gren, reduced the arrears with 10 minutes remaining.
But Pele still had one final offering and combined with Zagallo to score a fifth goal as Brazil claimed the World Cup for the first time.