Brazil 1970 History
About Brazil 1970
Brazil’s 1970 national team is widely regarded as the finest side the country has ever produced. By that point, Brazil had already lifted the World Cup twice, in 1958 and 1962, with Pelé central to both triumphs. The 1958 tournament announced him to the world as a teenage phenomenon, while injury limited his impact four years later. Approaching the twilight of his career by 1970, Pelé still remained the heartbeat of the team, even as his club career would later continue in the United States.
Football’s Greatest Ever Collectible
The road to Mexico City was far from smooth. Just months before the tournament, Brazil stumbled to a 1–1 draw in a friendly against Bangu, a modest Rio-based club. On a wet evening outside the city, the performance drew loud jeers from supporters, only highlighting growing doubts about their beloved team’s readiness.
Those concerns vanished in spectacular fashion. Ninety-nine days later, captain Carlos Alberto lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy at a jubilant Estadio Azteca. Earlier that night, he had sealed a commanding 4–1 victory over Italy with a goal that capped one of the most celebrated team moves in World Cup history. The win delivered Brazil’s third title in just over a decade and cemented the nation’s footballing legacy.
Who we Are
Ovais Naqvi was Special Projects Editor at Taschen, where he co-edited GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali, the landmark 30kg, signed limited-edition ($3,000-10,000).
In 2005, in London he and the team founded Gloria, publishing the signed, limited-edition unit, Pelé (2006), Superyacht (2007). New York (2008) and Scarfe on the Wall (2008), celebrating Pink Floyd’s album and signed by Roger Waters and illustrator Gerald Scarfe.
The creation of the “Carnival Edition” of Pelé led to the authorised acquisition of the Brazil 1970 World Cup winning team signatures.
About Brazil 1970
Brazil would wait another 24 years to reclaim the trophy, but the 1970 team remains a benchmark for football brilliance, endlessly referenced whenever a new generation takes the world stage. It was football played with freedom, flair and precision — the beautiful game performed at its peak.