Pelé, the youngest player to win a World Cup: when and how was it?

Every player has dreamed, since childhood, to play a world. Despite the distance, the language, the beliefs, this is a certainty with which those who live taming the ball grow; however, many fail to do so. And if they do, winning it is another distant probability. In 1958, a 17-year-old boy appeared capable of conquering what for many is only a longing: Pele.

The 1958 World Cup was held in Sweden. At that time there were only three world champions: Uruguay (1930, 1950), Italy (1934, 1938) and Germany (1954). Brazil, which had already been sneaking among the best teams, needed the trophy that was snatched from it in the 1950 Maracanazo.

Vicente Feola, DT of Brazil, called a young Pelé, who was already causing havoc in the São Paulo tournament, to play in the World Cup. They decided to take this boy named Edson Arantes do Nascimento even with an injury involved, which is why he missed the first two World Cup matches against Austria and England.

Thus, in the last group game, against the Soviet Union, what would become ‘O Rei’ made his appearance. The ‘canarinha’ would reach the final against Sweden, host of the World Cup. That day, June 29, 1958, with the victory of the South Americans, Pelé became the youngest player to win a World Cup at 17 years and 249 days. A record present to this day.

In Spain 1982, Giuseppe Bergomi would win the World Cup with Italy at the age of 18 years and 201 days, but he did not have the importance that Pelé had in his team. The third youngest footballer to win a World Cup is Kylian Mbappé, who at 19 years and 207 days old was crowned in Russia 2018.