PELE, GARRINCHA & VAVA

Thanks to Venezuela’s withdrawal from qualifying, Brazil only needed to beat one opponent to reach the 1958 World Cup. In Sweden, two men and a baby lit their fire.

Vava, Garrincha and 17- year- old Pele all swayed to a samba beat that the Selecao would copy for generations, wreaking havoc in their fabled 4- 2- 4 setup. The deep- lying Mario Zagallo completed a flowing frontline, 12 years before coaching Pele to O Rei’s record third crown in 1970.

Incredibly, however, ’ 58 boss Vicente Feola had some concerns. While the teenage Pele was assessed by a psychologist ( conclusion: “obviously infantile – he lacks the necessary fighting spirit”), Garrincha was a study in anarchy. The ‘ Bent- Legged Angel’ – he was born with one leg 6cm longer than the other – lived to beat defenders to the point he’d often go back just to humiliate them again.

It didn’t take long to bash the doubters. The triad produced moments of genius – not least in the final against Sweden, when both Vava and Pele bagged braces – to storm to a first World Cup. They retained it four years later thanks to one- man tornado Garrincha.

A fresh, multiracial and audacious face of Brazilian football had emerged.