The time Pelé played against the USSR (PHOTOS)

Seventeen-year-old Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, played his first game against the Soviet national team at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. For the future “King of Football”, that international tournament was the first in his career.

The 1958 FIFA World Cup group match between Brazil and the Soviet Union.

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Teams of the USSR and Brazil met in the final match of the group stage. By that point, they had collected four points and were playing for a place in the quarterfinals. Despite all the efforts, Soviet players failed to beat the legendary Brazilians - two goals by Vavá brought victory to the team from Latin America.

Brazilian striker Vava kicks past two opponents and scores the 1:0 lead goal during the 1958 FIFA World Cup group match against the USSR.

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Pelé really wanted to score in his debut match, but Viktor Tsaryov, who personally guarded him, did not give him a single chance. “Pelé didn’t play badly,” recalled footballer Nikita Simonyan: “You could tell right away: a good kid, light, smart, quick, technical. But, our defender Vitya Tsaryov coped with him.” The Brazilian didn’t forget the Soviet defender and, many years later during his visit to Moscow, asked who the player was with the number ‘5’ on his jersey. 

Pelé and Soviet goalkeeper Anzor Kavazashvili after the friendly match in Moscow, 1965.

Evgeny Kassin, Vladimir Musaelyan/TASS

Having failed to score against the USSR, the young prodigy, however, fully disclosed himself in subsequent matches: in the quarter-final, he became the author of the only winning goal against Wales; in the semi-final against the French he recorded a hat-trick and, in the final, he scored twice against the hosts' goalkeeper of the tournament. Brazil became world champion and Pelé - a living legend.

Pelé celebrates his goal against Italy during the final match of the 1970 World Cup.

Yuri Morgulis/TASS

It was at the 1958 World Cup that Pelé became friends with Lev Yashin, the only goalkeeper to ever be awarded the Ballon d’Or. “As for the greatest goalkeeper of all time, Lev Yashin, I knew him well,” the striker later recalled: “He was my first friend outside Brazil.” 

Pelé among the Soviet footballers after the friendly match in Moscow, 1965.

Sputnik

In 1965, Pelé flew to Moscow for a friendly match against the Soviet national team and, to his great disappointment, learned that, due to injury, Yashin would not take part in it. The goalkeeper, however, met with the striker on the pre-match training and gave him a miniature samovar as a present. The match ended 3-0 in favor of the Brazilians and Pelé himself scored two goals. 

Lev Yashin presents a miniature samovar to Pelé before the the friendly match in Moscow, 1965.

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The “King of Football” badly wanted to score against one of the best goalkeepers in the world and, in the return friendly match in Rio de Janeiro, his wish finally came true. He was the author of one of the two goals against Yashin in the match that ended 2-2.

Pelé and Lev Yashin in 1988.

Aleksander Yakovlev/TASS

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