The Peninsula
Doha: The year 1958 in the world of football is marked with back-to-back breakthroughs. From the most awaited championship to the introduction of a rising star, the sixth edition of World Cup has so much to tell.
The FIFA World Cup in 1958 was hosted by Sweden, the second time that the tournament was held in Europe, following the same occurence in the 1934 and 1938 editions. The practice would be then changed by the tournament's governing body. This edition also paved the way for a wider pool of nations to participate in the World Cup.
Four British nations were qualified along with the return of Argentina since its absence in 1938. Former Soviet Union also debuted in the tournament during this year while two-time World Cup holders Uruguay and Italy both failed to qualify.
Nonetheless, 16 teams competed and the matches were played at twelve cities and stadiums in Sweden, with the finale staged in Stockholm at Rasunda Stadium.
Propelled to championship
A star is born in the 1958 FIFA World Cup, and his name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento or the legend that we know as "Pele".
Pele missed the first two matches due to injury and did not play until Brazil's final group game against the Soviet Union.
He played in the quarterfinals against Wales and scored his very first goal.
However, it was in the semifinals with France when the world finally took notice of Pele when he served a hat-trick against the opposing side to inspire a Brazil win.
Brazil then trailblazed into the finals against the host country with its inimitable talents Pele and Garrincha to defeat Sweden in a 5-2 win in front of 50,000 fans at the Rasunda Stadium in Stockholm.