Brazil in the 1962 World Cup: How They Triumphed Without Pelé

Hey, galera! Today we are going back to Brazil in the 1962 World Cup, one of the most dramatic titles in Brazilian football history. This was the tournament where Brazil triumphed in 1962 even after losing Pelé early because of an injury. With Garrincha, Amarildo, Vavá and an unforgettable Seleção, Brazil still found a way to become world champion.

So, how did Brazil win the World Cup without its biggest star? Let’s follow the journey!

Brazil in the 1962 World Cup: The Full Journey

Stage	Match	Score
Group Stage	Brazil vs Mexico	2–0
Group Stage	Brazil vs Czechoslovakia	0–0
Group Stage	Brazil vs Spain	2–1
Quarter-final	Brazil vs England	3–1
Semi-final	Brazil vs Chile	4–2
Final	Brazil vs Czechoslovakia	3–1

1962 FIFA World Cup History

The 1962 World Cup took place in Chile from May 30th to June 17th and, just like in the 1958 World Cup that we have studied, 16 teams participated in the competition. The matches happened in four different stadiums: Estadio Nacional de Chile, Estadio Sausalito, Estadio El Teniente and Estadio Carlos Dittborn.

Chile made a great effort for the Cup to happen. Just two years before the World Cup, the country went through two earthquakes, considered among the strongest of the 20th century, and was capable of rebuilding everything on time for the games. Porque nada tenemos, lo haremos todo (“Because we have nothing, we’ll make everything”), said Carlos Dittborn, Chilean football administrator and former president of CONMEBOL.

Here are the teams that participated in this World Cup:

Group 1	Group 2	Group 3	Group 4
Soviet Union	West Germany	Brazil	Hungary
Yugoslavia	Chile	Czechoslovakia	England
Uruguay	Italy	Mexico	Argentina
Colombia	Switzerland	Spain	Bulgaria

The Battle of Santiago

The 1962 World Cup was not only remembered for beautiful football. It was also marked by very physical matches, strong tackles, and tense moments on the field. The most famous example was the match between Chile and Italy, which became known as the Battle of Santiago.

This game happened during the group stage, and the atmosphere was already tense before the match even started. Chile was the host country, Italy was a strong European team, and the relationship between the two sides was full of pressure. When the match began, things quickly became aggressive.

There were hard fouls, fights, arguments, and moments when the referee struggled to control the game. Two Italian players were sent off, and the match became one of the most violent and controversial games in World Cup history. In the end, Chile won 2–0, but the result is not the main reason people still remember the match.

People remember it because it showed the rougher side of the 1962 World Cup. While Brazil’s story in the tournament was about creativity, adaptation, and overcoming Pelé’s injury, the Battle of Santiago showed how tense and physical football could be at that time.

1962 World Cup and Brazil

The 1962 World Cup was the first World Cup that Brazilians could watch on TV through videotape. Until then, most fans followed the matches on the radio. The games were not shown live in Brazil: the tapes had to travel by plane from Chile and were usually shown about two days after the matches.

How Brazil Triumphed in 1962 Without Pelé

When people talk about Brazil and World Cups, Pelé is usually one of the first names that comes to mind. But the 1962 World Cup tells a different kind of Brazilian football story. This was the tournament where Brazil became world champion without Pelé for most of the competition.

Pelé started the tournament as one of Brazil’s biggest stars. He had already amazed the world in 1958, when he helped Brazil win its first World Cup as a teenager. In 1962, everyone expected him to shine again. And at first, that seemed very possible. Pelé scored in Brazil’s opening match against Mexico and looked ready to lead the Seleção one more time.

But everything changed in Brazil’s second match, against Czechoslovakia. Pelé suffered an injury and could not continue in the tournament. Imagine the pressure! Brazil had lost its most famous player very early in the World Cup. For many teams, that would have been the end of the dream.

But Brazil had something special: a squad full of confidence, creativity, and personality. Instead of collapsing, the Seleção adapted. Amarildo came into the team and became known as O Possesso, a nickname that showed his intense and fearless style. Garrincha became the great star of the tournament, dancing past defenders with his legendary dribbling. Vavá kept scoring important goals, just as he had done in 1958.

This is what makes Brazil’s 1962 title so powerful. It was not only a story about one superstar. It was a story about a team that knew how to survive pressure, change its plan, and still play beautiful football. Brazil proved that its strength was bigger than one player, even when that player was Pelé.

In Portuguese, Brazilians often say dar a volta por cima. It means to overcome a difficult situation and come back stronger. That is exactly what Brazil did in 1962. Pelé’s injury could have destroyed the campaign, but instead it opened space for Amarildo, Garrincha, Vavá, Zito, Gilmar, Djalma Santos and the rest of the squad to become part of one of the most impressive titles in World Cup history.

Amarildo: The Man Who Replaced Pelé

After Pelé’s injury, Amarildo suddenly had one of the most difficult jobs in world football: replacing Brazil’s biggest star. Imagine entering a World Cup team not just as another player, but as the person chosen to take the place of Pelé. No pressure, right?

But Amarildo did not disappear under that pressure. He became one of the most important names in Brazil’s 1962 campaign. His biggest moment came against Spain, in the final group match. Brazil needed a result to continue in the tournament, and Amarildo scored twice to help turn the game around.

That is why Amarildo is remembered with so much affection in this World Cup. He did not replace Pelé by becoming another Pelé. He helped Brazil in his own way: with courage, movement, goals, and personality. In Portuguese, we could say that Amarildo segurou a bronca, which means he handled a difficult responsibility when Brazil needed him most.

Garrincha: The Star Who Carried Brazil

After Pelé’s injury, Garrincha became the great star of Brazil’s 1962 World Cup. He was already loved in Brazil for his dribbling, creativity and joy, but in Chile he became something even bigger: the player who carried the Seleção when the team needed him most.

Against England in the quarter-final, Garrincha scored twice in Brazil’s 3–1 victory. Against Chile in the semi-final, he scored two more goals in a difficult match against the host nation. At the most important moments, Garrincha appeared.

Brazilians often remember the 1962 World Cup as Garrincha’s tournament. Pelé was injured, but Brazil still had another genius on the field. With his curved legs, unpredictable movement and magical dribbling, Garrincha turned pressure into joy.

Vavá: The Goals That Kept Brazil Moving

Vavá was another decisive player in Brazil’s 1962 World Cup. He had already helped Brazil win the 1958 World Cup, and in Chile he again showed why he was one of the most important forwards in Brazilian football history.

He scored against England in the quarter-final, scored twice against Chile in the semi-final, and scored Brazil’s third goal in the final against Czechoslovakia. In a tournament where Brazil had to survive without Pelé, Vavá gave the team something essential: goals in the biggest matches.

With Garrincha creating danger, Amarildo bringing energy, and Vavá finishing chances, Brazil found a new attacking balance. It was not the plan everyone expected before the tournament, but it worked beautifully.

1962 World Cup Knock-Out Stages and Final

During the group stage, Brazil did great, finishing first in Group 3, followed by Czechoslovakia. But things did not get easier in the knock-out stage, of course! Brazil went up against the almighty England in the quarter-finals and won 3–1 thanks to two goals by Garrincha and one by Vavá.

In the semi-finals, Brazil played against Chile. And guess who scored for us and helped the match finish 4–2? Garrincha and Vavá again, with both players scoring two goals during the match. An unstoppable duo, some might say!

The 1962 World Cup final match was held in Estadio Nacional de Chile, where Czechoslovakia and Brazil fought for the title. After only 15 minutes, Czechoslovakia scored the first goal, but Amarildo made everything even two minutes later, scoring for Brazil. In the second half, Brazil scored twice: one goal by Zito and another by Vavá. Watch it:

1962 World Cup Brazil Squad

You already know how important our golden trio, Vavá, Amarildo and Garrincha, were for the 1962 World Cup. But Brazil had other amazing players as well! Take a look:

Number	Position	Player
1	Goleiro (Goalkeeper)	Gilmar
2	Lateral (Full-back)	Djalma Santos
3	Zagueiro (Defender)	Mauro Ramos
4	Meio-campo (Midfielder)	Zito
5	Zagueiro (Defender)	Zózimo
6	Lateral (Full-back)	Nilton Santos
7	Atacante (Forward)	Garrincha
8	Meio-campo (Midfielder)	Didi
9	Atacante (Forward)	Coutinho
10	Atacante (Forward)	Pelé
11	Atacante (Forward)	Pepe
12	Zagueiro (Defender)	Jair Marinho
13	Zagueiro (Defender)	Bellini
14	Zagueiro (Defender)	Jurandir
15	Zagueiro (Defender)	Altair
16	Meio-campo (Midfielder)	Zequinha
17	Meio-campo (Midfielder)	Mengálvio
18	Atacante (Forward)	Jair da Costa
19	Atacante (Forward)	Vavá
20	Atacante (Forward)	Amarildo
21	Atacante (Forward)	Zagallo
22	Goleiro (Goalkeeper)	Castilho

If you want to learn more about football in Portuguese, come study with us online! You can learn from anywhere in the world and talk about the topics that interest you. Or you can give yourself the chance to have an immersive learning experience in Rio and get close to some football landmarks, such as the Maracanã!

 

Now it’s your turn!

Answer the questions below, based on what you have learned:

1. Onde foi sediada a Copa do Mundo de 1962?
2. Como ficou conhecido o jogo entre Chile e Itália?
3. Quanto tempo de atraso tiveram as transmissões dos jogos?
4. Por que Pelé não jogou?
5. Quem substituiu Pelé?
6. Por que a vitória do Brasil em 1962 foi tão especial?
7. Em que posição jogava Garrincha?
8. Quais seleções disputaram a final da Copa de 1962?

That’s all, folks! We hope you are as excited as we are for future World Cups! What did you think about the performances of Amarildo, Vavá and Garrincha during the tournament? Were you surprised by the way Brazil triumphed in 1962 without Pelé for most of the World Cup?

We’ll meet again in our next Dica.
See you!

Click on the links below to see more related Dicas:
1958 World Cup
1970 World Cup
Football Vocabulary in Portuguese
Sports in Portuguese

Answers

1. A copa foi sediada no Chile.
2. O jogo ficou conhecido como Batalha de Santiago.
3. As transmissões tiveram 2 dias de atraso.
4. Pelé não jogou porque estava machucado.
5. Amarildo substituiu Pelé.
6. Porque o Brasil venceu a Copa mesmo sem Pelé durante a maior parte do torneio.
7. Garrincha jogava como atacante.
8. A final foi disputada por Checoslováquia e Brasil.