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The 1970 World Cup was looming and for a country in turmoil after a coup earlier that decade had evolved into a full-blown dictatorship, football represented an escape from reality. Although the oppression that took place in the streets did not filter down to top footballers, Pelé and his teammates understood that they could help the collective well-being of the nation by returning Brazil to winning ways.
Pelé would score three more goals in friendlies against Mexico, Yugoslavia and Peru before the World Cup qualifiers began. He then, despite playing in a deeper role, noticeably stepped up his performances. He was a man with two World Cup winners’ medals to his name, but he was acting and playing like a man with unfinished business to settle.
He scored four times in two qualifiers against Venezuela, plus more goals against Colombia and Paraguay as Brazil eased their way into the World Cup tournament itself to be played at altitude in Mexico. He also scored the winner in a friendly against Argentina and two more against Chile before Brazil flew north to Central America bursting with good form.
The twice former world champions made a mission statement in their first group game in Guadalajara, swatting Czechoslovakia aside, 4-1. One of Pelé’s most famous actions took place during the game when he attempted to lob the Czech goalkeeper from inside his own half. The ball sailed fractionally wide but, at the time, no player had ever attempted it before at such a level and the effort was considered both daring and memorable.
He did, however, also find the net after Rivelino had opened the scoring in the
first half. Just before the hour Pelé scored for the fourth successive World Cup, bringing the ball down on his chest before volleying the ball home. Jairzinho added two more in the 61st and 81st minutes.
Next up were England, the defending world champions sporting a team with many World Cup winners still playing, that many considered even stronger than their predecessors from 1966.
This was another game where two events involving Pelé did not lead to a goal but will be forever remembered. The first was the incredible save that the England goalkeeper, Gordon Banks, pulled off to deny Pelé a goal. The Brazilian had planted a powerful header low into the right hand corner of the goal but Banks, who had dashed across the goal from the near post, somehow dived low to his right and flipped the bouncing header up and over the crossbar. So convinced was Pelé that he was about to score that he had shouted “Gol” as the ball headed towards the net. It was a save that Pelé later cited to be the greatest he had ever witnessed.
The second moment came at the end. A 59th minute goal from Jairzinho proved to be the difference between the two teams as Brazil prevailed, 1-0, with Pelé first controlling the ball and then flicking it on to his teammate for another assist. England created several chances to equalise but squandered them all. In what has gone down as one of the most iconic photographs in sport, a topless Pelé and Bobby Moore, the England captain, swapped shirts and hugged each other.
The final group game saw Brazil defeat Romania, 3-2, with Pelé opening the scoring in the 19th minute with a fierce free kick from outside the penalty box. Jairzinho added a second three minutes later. Romania scored a goal back to make it 2-1 at half time but Pelé ended any debate with his second and Brazil’s third goal in the 67th minute after Tostão had assisted. A late goal by Romania did not alter the outcome.
Brazil had won their group and qualified for the knockout stages, a relief after the failure of 1966. It was an even bigger relief for Pelé who had missed the key second group game four years earlier through injury and virtually the whole of the 1962 World Cup after being targeted and injured during the second group game. He had come through unscathed and with three goals in three group games, looked in ominous form.
In the quarter-final Brazil beat Peru, 4-2, having led 2-1 and 3-2. Pelé failed to get his name on the scoresheet but he did provide the assist for Tostão to score his second goal after Rivelino had began proceedings with a trademark low, left foot shot. Jairzinho added the fourth just to end any Peruvian hopes of getting back on level terms. It is considered to be one of the most entertaining games in World Cup history, with Brazil shooting 27 times at the opposition goal and Peru playing their part with 22 attempts back.
Standing in their way of a third World Cup Final in four attempts were arch-rivals Uruguay in the semi-final. Brazil had barely forgiven the Uruguayans for beating them in the final game of the 1950 World Cup to deny them a world title on home soil. Pelé was nine years old at the time and witnessed his father cry. Brazil had never faced them in a World Cup game since. To lose to them again, especially with this exceptional team, would have been unforgiveable.
The venue was switched from the higher altitude of Mexico City to Guadalajara, where Brazil had played all their previous games during the tournament. It did not start well. Uruguay took an early lead but a goal from Clodoaldo a minute before the break eased Brazilian nerves. Jairzinho nudged Brazil ahead in the 76th minute before Rivelino confirmed Brazil’s place in the final in the penultimate minute.
The game witnessed another moment from Pelé that has been repeated ever since on television. Chasing a pass from Tostão through the centre Pelé looked up, saw the advancing Uruguayan goalkeeper, and dummied the ball. This left the goalkeeper stranded as his eye had been on Pelé. The Brazilian superstar then had to finish this outrageous piece of skill by scoring but, at an acute angle, he sent the ball inches wide of the left-hand post.
No matter. It was the most talked about moment of a special victory that finally put the Maracanãzo to bed. And now it was just the Italians standing in Brazil’s way of a third World Cup.
Brazil had already beaten the defending world champions, England. Now they had to beat the current European champions, Italy. It would prove to be, arguably, Pelé’s greatest moment in the greatest football career of all.
player in history
was Di Stéfano.
I refuse to classify
Pelé as a player. He
was above that.”
Stadium, Guadalajara, on June 7, 1970.
feel as though
football was
invented for
this magical
player.”
complete player I’ve
ever seen. Two good
feet. Magic in the air.
Quick. Powerful. Could
beat people with skill.
Could outrun people.
Only 5'8" tall, yet he
seemed a giant of an
athlete on the pitch.
Perfect balance and
impossible vision.”
Montero Castillo after a painful kick on the shin.
by coming from behind to beat Uruguay 3-1.
was just one single
Pelé in that game,
because it seemed
like there were
three of him.”
Pelé was still only 29 but he had been playing professional football for 13 years, appeared in three World Cup tournaments and won two of them prior to 1970. Although his pace had slowed a little, and he had began to play a little deeper, providing more assists than goals, he was still regarded as the best player in the world.
He had retired from international football once already and, when asked to return to spearhead Brazil’s assault on the 1970 World Cup, he had at first refused until he realised his form was good and his incentive strong after injury in 1962 and then first round elimination in 1966. Despite everything he had achieved, Pelé was still a man on a mission. It was perhaps fitting, then, that he would opening the scoring for Brazil. Eighteen minutes had passed when Rivelino crossed from the left. Pelé leapt above Italian defender Tarcisio Burgnich, hung in the air for seemingly ages, before planting his header firmly into the goal.
His jump for joy and leap into Jairzinho’s arms provided yet another World Cup and Pelé moment that has lasted down the ages. It was also Brazil’s 100th World Cup tournament goal. Who better to score it than the world’s greatest ever footballer?
After the game Burgnich said: “I told myself before the final that Pelé is made of skin and bones like everyone else. But I was wrong.”
Brazil were on their way but Italy would be no pushovers. They were European champions after all, and had beaten West Germany in the semi-finals with an epic 4-3 victory after extra time. In the 37th minute Roberto Boninsegna equalised after a series of blunders in the Brazilian defence.
The game would stay locked at 1-1 until midway through the second half. Brazil had been pressing for some time now but Italy’s well-disciplined defence had held out. Suddenly, in the 66th minute, Gerson swept forward and fired a low, swerving, left-footed shot from outside the penalty area that flew into the right-hand corner of the net. At last Brazil had regained the lead and there would be no second opportunity for Italy. Five minutes later Brazil all but sealed the win when Jairzinho ran on to a cushioned header from Pelé to nudge the ball into the net. He would end the tournament with seven goals, second in the standings for the tournament, but the only player then, and indeed to this day, who scored in every World Cup tournament game.
Brazil – and Pelé – were not quite finished. There was still time to create a goal that is widely regarded to be one of the greatest team goals of all time, involving seven of the ten outfield players. Dispossessing the Italians deep in their own
half, Brazil launched a counter attack that included a twisting run from Clodoaldo beating four defenders in the process. The midfielder then passed to Rivelino on the left who fired a powerful pass on to Jairzinho down the left flank.
Alarmed with the mounting pressure of this attack Italy’s defensive unit drifted towards the left leaving the whole of the right side exposed. Jairzinho passed inside to the waiting Pelé.
His role in the goal is legendary. Despite the pressure of oncoming Italian defenders Pelé held the ball at his feet just long enough for his captain, right back Carlos Alberto, to appear on the right. Pelé, who could understandably have been blind to what was going on to his right, gently rolled the ball into the unoccupied space and watched his captain smash the ball low and hard into the far corner of the net with an unstoppable shot. Carlos Alberto did not need to break stride from Pelé’s inch-perfect pass. There were just four minutes left.
Brazil’s 4-1 World Cup Final victory has gone down as one of the greatest displays in a World Cup Final by arguably the greatest team that ever played in the famous tournament. And one man, above all else, shone.
Pelé ended the tournament with four goals. He scored once and provided two assists in the final and afterwards received the Golden Ball as the man voted as the player of the tournament. In terms of assists and goals Pelé was involved in 53% of Brazil’s goals in the 1970 tournament.
After winning a third World Cup, the first country to do so, Brazil were
allowed to keep the famous Jules Rimet Trophy and a new World Cup trophy was commissioned. Head coach Mário Zagallo became the first man to win the World Cup as both player and manager and, at 38 years of age, the second youngest man in charge of a World Cup-winning team. Brazil ended up winning all their qualifying games and all six games in the tournament, with a record of 12 wins out of 12 and 42 goals scored, with only eight conceded.
For Pelé it was the crowning moment of a glorious career. He would play for Brazil just four more times, winning two and drawing the last two, scoring in the second of these last four games in a 5-1 defeat of Chile in Santiago, and the penultimate game, a 1-1 draw against Austria, at the Maracanã.
After 92 internationals and 77 goals Pelé finally hung up his international
boots. With their greatest player on the pitch Brazil’s record was 67 wins, 14 draws and just 11 defeats. Pelé became the first man to win the World Cup on three separate occasions. In 14 World Cup tournament games he scored an astonishing twelve goals.
This is more than enough to elevate Pelé to the top of the ranking list of all-time greats. Yet his club career, predominantly with Santos, makes this claim unarguable.
(hidden) bundles the ball over the line to make it 3-1.
glory and Brazil’s. It was like being at war with the Brazilian flag in your hand. His legend is our legend.”