Sweden shocked the Rasunda Stadium crowd by taking the lead through captain Nils Liedholm after just four minutes, but Brazil responded almost immediately. Vava equalised within five minutes and added a second before half-time to put Brazil 2-1 ahead at the break.
The second half belonged to Pele. Ten minutes after the restart, he controlled the ball inside the penalty area, chipped it over a defender and smashed a volley past Sweden’s goalkeeper to make it 3-1.
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Mario Zagallo extended the lead to 4-1 before Agne Simonsson pulled one back for the hosts. Pele settled the contest in stoppage time, heading home his second of the match to complete a 5-2 victory.
The performance made Pele the youngest player in history to score in a World Cup final, a record that still stands today, while the seven goals scored across the match remain the most ever in a World Cup final. It was the first time a World Cup host had ever lost the final on home soil.
Brazil’s triumph marked the beginning of a golden era, with Pele going on to win two more World Cups, in 1922 and 1970, becoming the only player in history to lift the trophy three times.
Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
