🎥 Will anyone ever match him? Fifa hails Pelé, sole 3️⃣-time World Cup winner | OneFootball

There are only three days left until the start of the 2026 World Cup.

And FIFA paid tribute to him, King Pelé, since the eternal No. 10 is the only player ever to have won three editions of the tournament. 

Do you think any player will be able to match the King's record? Share your opinion!

At just 17 years old, Pelé was one of coach Vicente Feola’s picks for the 1958 World Cup.

He had already scored 41 goals for Santos in 1957 and would finish that historic year with 61 balls in the back of the net.

The future King started the World Cup in Sweden on the bench, but earned a starting spot in the third match (against the Soviet Union) and made all the difference in the knockout stage.

He secured the 1-0 win over Wales (goal in the video below), scored a hat-trick in the semifinal against Just Fontaine’s France, and celebrated twice in the final against the host nation.

Already established and piling up trophies with a historic Santos side, Pelé shone in Brazil’s 1962 opener, with a goal and an assist against Mexico.

But he suffered an injury against Czechoslovakia and was unable to return. It was up to Garrincha, Vavá, and Amarildo to lead Brazil to a second title.

He scored once in Brazil’s disappointing 1966 campaign, which ended with elimination in the group stage.

And afterward, he put to rest any doubts that he would even play in the next World Cup, leaving no doubt that he truly was the King of Football.

He even played a part in what is considered the greatest save in history:

In a Brazil side full of players who wore the No. 10 for their clubs (Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Tostão, and Gérson), the King was cerebral and lethal.

Four goals and five assists during the epic campaign that ended with an emphatic 4-1 win over Italy in the altitude and heat of Mexico City. 

Pelé opened the scoring against the Azzurra and played a decisive role in what is considered the most beautiful team goal in World Cup history:

👑 Pelé leads the list by a WIDE margin

No other player has more goal contributions for Brazil at World Cups than the King.

He has 12 goals and nine assists, for a total of 21.

Ronaldo with 18 (15 + three) and Ademir Menezes with 13 (nine + four) complete the Top 3.

The only active player in the Top 10 is Neymar, with eight goals and three assists.

He sits in fifth place. He also trails Rivaldo (eight + four) and Jairzinho (nine + two). 

Photos: FIFA

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.