Finale29 Juin 1958
Råsunda Stadium Solna
As the tournament progressed, the Brazilians got better and better. And they still had more brilliance in store for the 50.000 crowd in the Råsunda Stadium and the millions more watching on television. The match was played on a slippery surface after 24 hours of rain. Brazil brought in Djalma Santos for his first game of the tournament, after his recovery from injury. He, Nilton Santos and Didi, were Brazil's only survivors from the 1954 World Cup.
After only four minutes, a magnificently worked goal by Sweden's "Italian connection" resulted in Liedholm scoring. This was the first time Brazil had been a goal behind and there were many who thought that, should this happen, then the ball-playing South Americans might crumble. But the goal only spurred the Brazilians on to greater things. The Swedish joy was short-lived and five minutes later, Garrincha beat his marker to cross the ball around the back of the Swedish defence for Vava to level the scores. After half an hour, Brazil scored an almost identical goal. Garrincha went down the flank, crossed at the back of the defence - and there was Vava again!
The second half once more belonged to Pelé, just as it did in the semifinal. Ten minutes after the restart he scored a great goal when he trapped the ball with his chest, rounded his man, and volleyed the ball into the net. Indecision in the Swedish defence after a Zagallo corner allowed the winger to follow up his own cross and ram home the fourth goal after 68 minutes. Ten minutes from time, Sweden scored a second goal when Simonsson finished off a move set up by Gunnar Gren.The match was well beyond Sweden's grasp, when Pelé in the last minute scored his second goal. He started the move with a cheeky back-heel to Zagallo and then collected the winger's cross to head home Brazil's fifth. Brazil showed, even on slippery, wet surface more suited to European style of play, that they were superior. At the end Pelé was in tears. He had certainly enjoyed an outstanding competition and remains to this day the youngest ever winner of the World Cup. The 1958 World Cup was the best and friendliest so far. As if to symbolize the spirit of the tournament, the Brazilians did a lap of honour carrying a huge Swedish flag. This tournament was also, perhaps, the most conclusive. Brazil arrived as favourites and carried the trophy home as the first team to win it in a continent different from their own.
Sweden : Svensson, Bergmark, Axbom, Börjesson, Gustavsson, Parling, Hamrin, Gren, Simonsson, Liedholm, Skoglund.
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