World Cup Final 29 June 1958

Rasunda Stadium, Stockholm
Brazil 5 (Vava 9, 31, Pele 55, 89, Zagalo 70) Sweden 2 (Liedholm 4, Simonsson 80)

Brazil: Gilmar, Djalma Santos, Nilson Santos, Zito, Bellini, Orlando, Garrincha, Didi, Vava, Pele, Zagallo.

Sweden: Svensson, Bergmark, Axbom, Boerjesson, Gustavsson, Parling, Hamrin, Gren, Simonsson, Liedholm, Skoglund.

Referee: Maurice Guigue (France)
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None

The 1958 World Cup Final will be remembered as the game that launched Pele on the world stage. It should also be remembered as a fine game of football between two outstanding sides.

Hosts Sweden had accounted for holders West Germany in the semi-finals, and their attacking trio of Niels Liedholm, Gunnar Gren and Kurt Hamrin, egged on by the home crowds, were proving almost unstoppable. Brazil lay in wait for them in the final. They were armed with a deadly array of ability, with right-winger Garrincha and midfield maestro Didi outstanding.

A young Pele, fresh from a semi-final hat-trick against France, was to give a virtuoso performance on the big occasion, despite being only 17 years and 249 days old on the day of the final.

Liedholm gave the Swedes a fourth minute lead, but the outstanding centre-forward Vava put Brazil ahead by the half-hour mark with two goals. Ten minutes into the second half, Pele added a third with a trademark piece of control and finishing. Nilson Santos' ball in from the left was killed first time, flicked over the head of the last Swedish defender and placed into the corner of the net, giving keeper Svensson no chance.

Mario Zagallo, who went on to manage the Brazilian side to their 1970 triumph, added a fourth after 70 minutes, as the Swedes were torn apart by Brazil's outstanding teamwork. Simonsson's consolation with ten minutes to go was cancelled out as Pele added a fifth Brazilian goal in the final minute.

The new young hero of Brazil was chaired from the field and the whole Brazilian team lapped the Rasunda Stadium carrying a huge Swedish flag. The standing ovation afforded to the winners, who had beaten the hosts comprehensively, was a tribute to the outstanding side who paved the way for future Brazilian successes.