After the Final. Having kept his promise to his father,
17-year-old Pelé feels the moment.
June 29, 1958: The Brazil national soccer team, the Seleção, goes into the Final of the World Cup, against the host team, Sweden, and looking for redemption.
They had lost the Final in 1950, to neighboring Uruguay, on home soil, at the Estadio do Maracanã in Rio do Janeiro. The loss was a blow to the national psyche of Brazil, so often wrapped up in this sport of soccer. It is known as Maracanazo in Spanish, Maracanaço in Portuguese: "The Agony of Maracanã." The 1950 World Cup was supposed to be a statement for Brazil, showing the world that it was a modern country, worthy of respect and admiration around the postwar world. This was the country's coming-out party, and it was ruined.
Minister of Sport Aldo Rebelo said, "Losing to Uruguay in 1950 not only impacted on Brazilian football, it impacted on the country's self-esteem." Instead of hating Uruguay for the ruination, Brazilians blamed themselves.
In 1954, Brazil lost to Hungary in the Quarterfinal. At that point, Hungary were favored, so it wasn't as much of a blow. But by 1958, most the players from the 1950 team were gone, and replaced by new players, keeping in mind that many Brazilian players are known by nicknames:
* From Rio club Botafogo: Midfielders Garrincha and Didi, defender Nílton Santos.
* From Rio club Flamengo: Forward Mário Zagallo, midfielders Dida, Moacir and Joel.
* From Rio club Fluminense: Goalkeeper Carlos Castilho (a 1950 holdover, but a backup then).
* From Rio club Vasco da Gama: Defender and Captain Hilderaldo Bellini, defender Orlando Peçanha, forward Vavá.
* From Rio club Bangu: Defender Zózimo.
* From São Paulo FC: Midfielders Dino Sani and Nílton de Sordi, and defender Mauro Ramos.
* From São Paulo club Corinthians: Goalkeeper Gilmar, defender Oreco.
* From São Paulo club Palmeiras: Midfielder José Altafini.
* From São Paulo club Portuguesa: Defender Djalma Santos.
* And from São Paulo club Santos: Midfielders Zito and Pepe... and forward Pelé.
Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento. His father, known as Dondinho, had played for Fluminense, but his career came to an early end due to injury. Edson saw his father crying next to the radio after the 1950 World Cup Final, and promised him that, one day, the son would win the World Cup for the father. Now, he was 17 years old, might already have been the best player in the world.
This remains the only World Cup for which all 4 British “Home Nations” qualified. There were 4 Groups in the Group Stage, and each had 1 British team in it:
* Wales drew with a Hungary team weakened by the loss of players who had fled the country during their Revolution in 1956, drew with Mexico, and drew with Sweden, resulting in the need for a Playoff for the 2nd qualifier from their Group. They came from behind to beat Hungary, and advanced. They lost the Quarterfinal to Brazil.
* Northern Ireland beat Czechoslovakia, lost to Argentina, and drew with West Germany, to finish tied with the Czechs for 2nd in their Group. They beat the Czechs in a Playoff that went to extra time, and moved on to the Knockout Stage. They lost the Quarterfinal to France.
* Scotland weren't so lucky: They drew with Yugoslavia, then lost to Paraguay and France by 1 goal each, and finished last in their Group.
* And England, weakened by the Munich Air Disaster that killed 8 Manchester United players 4 months earlier, could only manage 3 draws: With the Soviet Union, then Brazil, then Austria. That forced them into a Playoff with the Soviets for the 2nd qualifier, and they lost.
Argentina lost their last Group Stage match, 6-1 to Czechoslovakia, at the Olympiastadion in Helsingborg on June 15, to finish last in their Group. The country remembers it as El Desastre de Suecia: The Disaster of Sweden.
Brazil topped their group, beating Austria 3-0 in Uddevalla, playing England to a 0-0 draw in Gothenburg, and beating the Soviet Union in Gothenburg. Pelé scored the only goal in Brazil's 1-0 win over Wales in the Quarterfinal at Gothenburg, and scored 3 in their 5-2 win over France at the Råsunda Stadium in Solna, part of the national capital of Sweden. The host nation had managed to reach the Final, despite never having gotten there before, and they haven't since.
As the host nation, Sweden got the first choice of uniform, and they chose yellow shirts with blue shorts -- Brazil's usual first-choice kit. Brazil was forced to wear their "change strip": Blue shirts and white shorts.
Nils Leidholm, the A.C. Milan legend, scored in only the 4th minute of the game, and the Swedish fans believed they were on their way to glory. But Vavá tied the game in the 9th, and gave Brazil the lead in the 32nd. Pelé made it 3-1 in the 55th, and Zagallo made it 4-1 in the 68th. Agne Simonsson scored in the 80th minute, to put the game back into doubt. But Pelé scored in stoppage time to give Brazil a 5-2 win, the Jules Rimet Trophy, and the redemption they sought.
Pelé had kept the promise he made to his father 8 years earlier. He would help Brazil win the World Cup again in 1962, although he would be injured during the Group Stage, and did not play in the Final in Santiago, Chile, beating Czechoslovakia. He helped them win again in 1970, beating Italy in the Final in Mexico City.
Brazil have gone on to win the World Cup a record 5 times, having beaten Italy in the Final again in the Rose Bowl in 1994, and beating Germany in Yokohama, Japan in 2002. They have also lost the Final to France in Paris in 1998.
You will notice that none of those 5 wins have been in Brazil. The World Cup has returned to that country only once, in 2014, and Brazil got to the Semifinal, but had an even more stunning loss at the Maracanã. It wasn't that they lost to Germany, who then beat Argentina in the Final. It wasn't even that they were looking forward to beating Argentina in the Final in the Maracanã themselves. The truly shocking part was the score: Germany beat Brazil, in the Maracanã, by a score of 7-1.
Opened in 1937, the Råsunda Stadium was Sweden's national stadium, and also the home field of Stockholm team AIK. It was demolished in 2013, having been replaced by the Friends Arena.
*
June 29, 1958 was a Sunday. These baseball games were played that day:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Kansas City Athletics, 12-6 at Kansas City Municipal Stadium. Bob Turley and once-and-future Yankee Ralph Terry were the starters, and neither got out of the 4th inning. Mickey Mantle went 1-for-4 with a home run, a walk and 2 RBIs. Yogi Berra went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Two future Yankees hit home runs for the A's: Roger Maris went 4-for-6 with 2 RBIs, and Héctor López went 1-for-2 with a walk and 2 RBIs.
* A doubleheader was scheduled for Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Phillies won the 1st game, beating the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4. Stan Musial went 3-for-5 with a walk. Harry Anderson doubled Solly Hemus home with the winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning.
Because Pennsylvania, the last State to legalize Sunday sports, still had a 7:00 PM curfew for the day, the game was suspended in the bottom of the 8th, with the Cards leading, 4-3. It was completed on July 29, and that score held. Musial got a hit as a pinch-hitter.
* A doubleheader was split at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the 1st game, 4-3. The Chicago Cubs won the 2nd game, 8-3. Over the 2 games, Roberto Clemente went 1-for-5 (he left the 2nd game early), and Ernie Banks went 3-for-7 with 2 walks.
* The Baltimore Orioles swept a doubleheader from the Cleveland Indians, 11-6 and 5-2 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
* The San Francisco Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds, 2-0 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Al Worthington pitched 8 innings of 4-hit shutout ball, and Johnny Antonelli pitched a perfect 9th. Willie Mays went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Former Brooklyn Dodger star Don Newcombe pitched 8 strong innings, but was the losing pitcher. Frank Robinson appeared only as a pinch-hitter, and did not reach base.
* The Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 10-7 at Briggs Stadium (later Tiger Stadium) in Detroit. Ted Williams went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, and 3 RBIs. Al Kaline went 0-for-3.
* A doubleheader was split at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The Washington Senators won the opener, 12-0. Pedro Ramos pitched a 5-hit shutout. The Chicago White Sox won the nightcap, 12-11. Jim Rivera doubled Earl Battey home with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning.
* And the Milwaukee Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 10-6 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Hank Aaron went 4-for-5 with a grand slam off Don Drysdale, and 5 RBIs. Charlie Neal hit 2 home runs for the Dodgers.
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