Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Famous FIFA World Cup Goals: Teen Prodigy Pelé
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Black and white photo of a crowded stadium as Brazilian soccer legend Pele scores a goal during the 1958 World Cup final, helping Brazil win its first title; defenders and the goalkeeper react as the ball heads toward the net.
Quick Facts
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Famous FIFA World Cup Goals: Teen Prodigy Pelé

Written by
Gitanjali Roy
Gitanjali Roy is deputy managing editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has over two decades of editorial experience across digital and broadcast media.
Gitanjali Roy
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History
Black and white photo of a crowded stadium as Brazilian soccer legend Pele scores a goal during the 1958 World Cup final, helping Brazil win its first title; defenders and the goalkeeper react as the ball heads toward the net.
Pelé the legendIn 1958 Brazil's Pelé, at 17, became the youngest player to score in the final of a FIFA World Cup.

Whether or not they knew it at the time, the fans in attendance at the 1958 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Sweden were watching history being made. The championship match was an exciting goal fest, and 17-year-old PelĂ© entered the record books by becoming the youngest player to score in a World Cup final. The teen prodigy flicked the ball over a Swedish defender and volleyed home to give his team a 3–1 lead in the 55th minute of the match. Brazil defeated Sweden 5–2 to win the first of its five World Cups (also 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002). Pelé’s goal signaled his status as a legend in the making—he had already distinguished himself by scoring the winner in Brazil’s quarterfinal match against Wales and a hat trick in the semifinal against France. (Watch the record-setting goal here.)

Gitanjali Roy
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.