‘Youngest player to win the World Cup’ – What are Pelé’s records in world football?

Pelé, popularly known as ‘The King’, is considered one of the best footballers of all time.

The Brazilian magician has captivated soccer fans for generations and his record speaks for itself.

From being the youngest player to win the World Cup to holding the record for scoring the most international goals for the Selecao, Pelé has reached great heights wearing Brazil’s famous yellow jersey.

Records set by Pele that still stand

Youngest player to play and win the World Cup

Pelé is the youngest player to play and win the World Cup. At the age of 17 years and 249 days, Pelé helped Brazil win the World Cup in 1958 at the Rasunda Stadium in Solna, Sweden. Brazil defeated the hosts 5-2 to win their first World Cup trophy where Pelé scored a brace.

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Brazil’s top international goalscorer

Pelé is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer in international football. In 92 official matches recognized by FIFA, the legendary striker scored 77 goals. The record has stood unbroken for five decades, but Neymar may soon surpass Pele’s tally, who currently has 71 goals to his name.

Most FIFA World Cup medals by a player

Pelé won three World Cup medals with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1966. No other player in Brazil or around the world has been part of three World Cup winning teams.

Most assists in World Cups

The Brazilian holds the record for providing the most assists in World Cups. In the four tournaments in which he participated (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970), Pelé gave 10 assists. At the 1970 World Cup, the attacker had provided six assists including two in the final, which is also a record in itself as no other player had provided six assists in a single edition.

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The youngest goalscorer in a World Cup

Pele, to date, is the youngest goalscorer in World Cup history. The Brazilian scored his first goal in the flagship tournament against Wales in the quarter-finals. Riding on Pelé’s goal, Brazil booked their place in the semi-final.

Youngest hat-trick scorer at a World Cup

In the 1958 World Cup semi-final, Pelé scored his first hat-trick in international football as Brazil thrashed France 5-2. In the process, he became the youngest player to score an international hat-trick at the age of 17 years and 245 days.

Most goals in a calendar year

With 127 goals for Santos in a calendar year in 1959, Pelé is the top scorer in a single calendar year. Second after Pele on this list is Lionel Messi, who scored 91 goals in 2012.

How many Ballon d’Ors has Pele won?

Despite being one of the best footballers of all time, Pelé never won a Ballon d’Or because, until 1995, the award was reserved exclusively for European footballers. It was only in 1995 that the award was expanded to include players from around the world and George Weah of Liberia became the first non-European recipient of the award.