The 1958 World Cup is inseparable from Brazil, as it was at this tournament that marked the rise of the Samba. The South American giant truly began their dominance and were crowned by the emergence of their greatest legend, Pelé, on Swedish soil.
Beyond everything related to the Seleção, this edition of the World Cup was the first to adopt a standardized tournament format that remains in use to this day. Group winners and runners-up progressed to the knockout stage from a round-robin group phase, in which each team faced every other side in the group.
Sweden 1958 was also one of the editions in which Indonesia had a genuine chance of qualifying. At the time, Egypt and Sudan, who were supposed to face Indonesia in the playoff round, withdrew in protest against Israel, their prospective opponent. The Southeast Asian side eventually followed suit after FIFA rejected its proposal to play Israel at a neutral venue.
1958 World Cup Fun Facts
* The Soviet Union made its World Cup
debut.
* All four Home Nations from the British
Isles qualified for the finals, a record that still stands today.
* Wales, who had originally failed to
qualify, were given a place in an intercontinental playoff against Israel after
Egypt, Sudan and Indonesia withdrew.
* This was the first World Cup to be
televised in multiple countries.
* For the first time, an official match
ball was used throughout the tournament.
* There were no officially seeded teams at
the group draw, unlike the modern era.
* Playoff matches in the group stage were
still used to decide qualification when teams finished level on points.
* Several major sides such as Italy,
Uruguay and Spain failed to qualify.
* Goal difference had initially been selected to separate teams level on points, but FIFA scrapped the rule after the tournament had begun following pressure from the Swedish FA, which insisted on playoff matches to boost revenues.
Brazil End Europe’s Dominance
At this World Cup, European supremacy was finally broken. Despite being staged on European soil, none of the continent’s representatives managed to lift the trophy. Defending champions West Germany and 1954 finalists Hungary failed to arrive at full strength. While the German squad was beginning to show its declining form, the Mighty Magyars were without their biggest stars, including Ferenc Puskás, 1954 top scorer Sándor Kocsis, and Czibor.
Brazil’s journey proved relatively smooth, even though Pelé only made his first appearance in the third group match. Finishing top of a group that included the Soviet Union, England and Austria, Didi and his teammates edged past Wales 1–0 in the quarter-finals and swept aside France 5–2 in the semi-finals. Hosts Sweden, slightly favoured on home soil, reached the final after defeating the Soviet Union 2–0 and West Germany 3–1.
The final itself became a showcase of jogo bonito at its finest. Despite falling behind early to a Nils Liedholm goal, Brazil responded emphatically, scoring five times through Didi (two), Mário Zagallo and Pelé (two). The Blågult could only reduce the deficit through Simonsson.
Top scorer: Just Fontaine (France) – 13
goals
Best player: Didi (Brazil)
Best young player: Pelé (Brazil)
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