Brazil and Sweden face each other in a friendly this Wednesday (15.08) at 3pm (Brazil time) at a very special stage of footballing history: the Rasunda Stadium in Solna, in Stockholm's metropolitan region in Sweden. On the 29th of June 1958, Brazil won its first World Cup title when they beat the hosts 5-2 at the same stadium, which will be demolished to give place to a new ground.
The Brazilians made it to the final against the hosts with a great campaign: four victories and a draw, with a 5-2 thrashing of France in the semi-final. However, the memory of the ‘Maracanazo’ (Brazil’s defeat to Uruguay in the final of the 1950 World Cup in Maracanã) was still very vivid. To make matters worse, Sweden opened the score 4 minutes into the match. It was then that midfielder Didi took the ball out of the net, showing his team-mates that he was very calm and confident, and placed the ball on the halfway line for a new kick-off.
As soon as the ball started rolling again, Didi passed the ball to Garrincha, who ran past the defender and drilled it onto the outside of the net. The near miss perked up the Brazilians and five minutes after conceding a goal, Brazil drew level with Vavá. Still in the first half, Brazil pulled it back, again with Vavá.
In the second half, a young Pelé, who was only seventeen, scored what he considers to have been his most important goal in that tournament: he chipped the ball over the defender in the area and drilled it into the net in the 55th minute. Zagallo from Brazil, made it 4-1 in the 68th. Sweden pulled one back in the 80th, but in the last minute of the match, Pelé finished it off, heading a ball into the net, after a Zagallo cross.
It was the first time that Brazil had won the Jules Rimet Trophy. At the end of the match, as a way of thanking their hosts for the welcome they had got, the world champions gave a victory lap carrying the Swedish flag.
» Watch the video about Brazil’s title
» Detailed information about the final of the 1958 World Cup
BRAZIL x SWEDEN
29th of June 1958
Venue: Rasunda Stadium, Stockholm.
Crowd: 49,737 people
Referee: Maurice Guigue
Goals: Nils Liedholm 3', Vavá 9' and 32', Pelé 55' and 90', Zagalo 73' and Agne Simonsson 80'.
Brazil: Gilmar, Djalma Santos, Bellini, Orlando and Nilton Santos; Zito and Didi; Garrincha, Vavá, Pelé and Zagalo. Manager: Vicente Feola.
Sweden: Karl Svensson, Orvar Bergmark, Bengt Gustavsson and Sven Axbom; Rejno Borjesson and Sigvard Parling; Kurt Hamrim, Gunnar Gren, Agne Simonsson, Nils Liedholm and Lennart Skoglund. Manager: George Raynor
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