This Day in History: 2022-11-18

Nr. 347

PELE’S SEMI-FINAL HAT-TRICK (1958)

The imperious Brazilians of 1958 were known for their attacking brilliance, but they also reached the semis in Sweden without conceding a goal. In the semi-final they expected to be tested by a French side that boasted the prolific Just Fontaine. He scored in the first half, but goals from Vava and Didi gave Brazil a 2-1 lead at the interval. The French, having pierced the Brazilian defence, were confident of doing it again before they were blown away in the second half as a 17-year-old Pelé scored a hat-trick in 23 minutes. The game finished 5-2 after Roger Piatoni scored a late consolation goal for the French.

Wowed by the Brazilian’s display, French marksman Just Fontaine reportedly said that, «to lose to a team like that wasn’t embarrassing».