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The football legend Pelé, who died on December 29, went down in history not only as an incredible striker but also as the only man to have won the World Cup three times. FRANCE 24 takes a look back at the three World Cups that would result in Fifa dubbing Pelé “the immortal”.
Pelé, the World Cup’s undisputed ambassador, was conspicuously absent from this year’s edition in Qatar. Despite battling cancer, the so-called “King of Football” had followed and commented on the latest World Cup from his hospital bed in Sao Paolo. 11 days after Argentina’s stunning victory in the final match, the legendary footballer passed away, leaving devastated fans behind.
The world will no longer be able to enjoy the debonair appearances and wise words of the “king” at the World Cup. His talent as a goalscorer — 1281 goals in 1363 matches according to a far from official count, often inflated by Pelé himself — made him a star but his wins at the World Cup (in 1958, 1962 and 1970) made him a legend, in part because the event started being televised for the first time.
>>In pictures: A look back at Pelé’s extraordinary career
1958: Coronation
In 1958, for the first time in its history, the World Cup was broadcast on television. This turned out to be a stroke of luck, for football fans across the world might have otherwise missed out on seeing the sensational 17-year-old Edson Arantes do Nascimento (aka Pelé) play. Injured just before the tournament was held in Sweden, the teenager for Santos FC missed Brazil’s first two matches. Despite his young age, he was slotted as a key forward in his country’s line-up. He returned for the third game — and the rest is history.
He set a string of records, becoming the youngest player in a World Cup match and the tournament’s youngest goalscorer, marking the only…
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