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FIFA World Cup: Sweden, 1958

The 1958 World Cup was a tournament marked by exciting football and notable individual performances. It is remembered for Brazil's emergence as a footballing powerhouse and the debut of Pelé, who would go on to become one of the greatest footballers of all time.

Brazil emerged as the champion for the first time, defeating Sweden 5-2 in the final.

A young Pele at the 1958 World Cup

Qualifiers

In the 1958 qualifying competition, all Israel's opponents refused to play against them. FIFA then decided that Israel had to play at least two matches in order to qualify for the finals. Wales were chosen among all the second-placed teams to play. Wales beat Israel in two play-off matches, and reached the finals for the first and only time.

Tournament

Northern Irish players were originally ordered not to play in a 1958 finals match as the match was held on a Sunday. The Northern Irish FA reminded their players that it was against the Irish law to play the two 1958 First Round matches scheduled on the 'holy day'. The players protested, and the Northern Irish FA scrapped the rules at the very last minute. They won the first match, drew the second, and reached the quarter-finals.
The attendance at a play-off match on 17 June 1958 between Wales and Hungary was only 2,823, due to a boycott to show their sympathy to the Hungarian rebellion army leader who had been executed one day before the match.
Brazil won the 1958 World Cup, their title. The team included a 17-year-old legend-in-the-making named Pelé. he also became the youngest player in World Cup history to have scored a goal when he scored against Wales in 1958. He was then only 17 years and 239 days old.
The record for the most goals at a World Cup is 13 by Frenchman Just Fontaine in 1958, the goals scored in six games.