YET again, Europe played repeat hosts for the 2nd time when the 6th Edition of the quadrennial World Cup was staged in Sweden. It marked the first World Cup to be televised live, though only in Sweden, while the rest of the world saw it later, and substitutions (injured goalkeeper and other) were introduced for the first time. Over 900 000 attended the 35 matches between June 8 and 29.
Two of the three Champions up to that time in World Cup football, Uruguay and Italy, failed to qualify for the finals and for the first and only time all four British sides participated.
The highlight of the competition was, undoubtedly, the sight of football’s perfection as was orchestrated and directed by a teenager called Pele whose exceptional and superb skills was the catalyst for Brazil’s first of five Cup celebrations. The win was also the first by a team from another continent.
The sixteen teams were once again divided into four equal groups with the top two advancing to the Quarters. The defending Champions West Germany were a mere shadow of the side that won the Championship 4 years ago in Switzerland.
On their way to topping the group the Germans beat Argentina 3-1 and drew 2-2 with both Czechoslovakia and Northern Ireland who also booked their place in the next round after getting the better of Czechoslovakia 2-1 in a play-off.
The Irish had earlier beaten the Czechs 1-0, but lost 1-3 to the Argentines who were clobbered 6-1 by the Czechs.
In group two, France with wins against Paraguay (7-3) and Scotland (2-1), as well as a 2-3 loss to Yugoslavia still headed the group on a superior goal difference. The Yugoslavs joined them after edging the Scottish 1-0 and drawing 3-3 with Paraguay who squeezed past Scotland 3-2.
The debutant runs of the un-fancied British continued in group three where Wales drew all its matches to join the host as the qualifiers. They had 1-1 ties with Mexico and Hungary and a goal-less stalemate with Sweden who disposed of Mexico 3-0 and Hungary 2-1. In the game to determine who finished at the bottom Hungary at last found their appetite with a 4-0 whipping of the Mexicans.
There was a play-off in Group 4 as well to decide who joined Brazil to the KO round and in the end Russia needled England 1-0 after a 2-2 tie earlier. The English also drew 2-2 with Austria and 0-0 with Brazil who defeated Austria 3-0 and Russia 2-0 to end the group competition as the only side not to concede a goal.
France led by the Moroccan-born Jus Fontaine wasted no time with Northern and ended their fairy-tale run with 4 unanswered goals, while the Germans continued their march in eliminating Yugoslavia 1-0.
Sweden, with growing home support match after match, made sure of their place in the last four after putting away a tired-looking Russian side 2-0, and Brazil, compliments of a Pele maiden World Cup goal, ended the hopes of the Welsh side.
In Gothenburg the tension was building up to boiling point even before a ball was kicked. Sweden, making full use of the home advantage and with the Nation now fully behind them, came from a goal down to end the reign of West Germany as champions with a 3-1 win, and reached their first World Cup finals.
In Stockholm, a Pele hat-trick in the 2nd period dented any dreams the French had of making it to the Big Dance. Vava gave the Brazilians the lead as early as the 2nd minute, but Fontaine replied 7 minutes later, and six minutes from the half the maestro Didi restored the lead.
The 17-year-old Pele who made his World Cup entry on the insistence of the senior players after watching the first two games from the bench with an injury almost single-handedly took apart the French with a treble (52th, 63th, 75th).
Piantoni reduced the lead 7 minutes from the end, but at the final whistle they were one game away from capturing football’s greatest prize.
Another player making tremendous highlight at the Tournament was the goal-hungry Fontaine whose helmet-trick against Germany in the 3rd place play-off helped France to a 6-3 win and took his Tournament tally to an unprecedented 13 goals which still remains the highest number of goals ever scored at a finals.
For the Championship game the South Americans were forced to change their familiar gold jerseys as it clashed with the Swedish colour. For the most important game they switched to blue jerseys. It did not matter what colour, their coach Feola and his troops were committed to bringing the World Cup to where it belonged.
Four minutes into the game and Brazil were trailing for the first time as Nils Liedholm fired one past Gilmar. Midfield general Didi with all his experience immediately calmed things down and the Samba Boys went to work.
Garrincha, the wizard of feints and dribbles, went by the defence with ease before finding Vava, in almost similar fashion, in the 9th and 32nd minutes and Brazil were in control. Ten minutes into the 2nd period the genius of Pele increased the lead with what is still rated as one of the best goals ever to be scored in a Final.
With his back to the goal and crowded by his markers in the box he controlled the ball on his right thigh and flicked it over his head before turning and volleying the ball past the keeper. Zagallo added his name to the score sheet after eluding two defenders in the 68th minute to make it 4-1.
In the 80th minute Simonsson got a consolation for the homesters and then on the stroke of full time Pele rose majestically to meet a Zagollo cross and powerfully headed home the final goal to spark off worldwide celebrations.
A new king of football was born and since then Brazil have always been a favourite to win the Ultimate Football Prize.