Cliff Jones and Alan Mullery reflect on classic World Cup encounters with Pele, ‘the greatest’

Spurs legends Cliff Jones and Alan Mullery met Pele at different stages of his World Cup career with Brazil – encounters they’ve never forgotten.

Arguably the greatest of all-time, certainly football’s first world superstar, Pele sadly passed away on Thursday evening after battling illness in recent years. He was 82.

The numbers say it all, really. Pele is credited with scoring a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country. The only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pele was named FIFA's Player of the Century in 2000.

Making his club debut for Santos aged 15, Pele became a global star when, aged 17, he helped Brazil win the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, forcing his way into the starting line-up by the knockout stages. He scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Wales in the quarter-finals, a hat-trick against France in the semi-final and two in a 5-2 triumph over hosts Sweden in the final.

Cliff, 87, one of our all-time greats with 159 goals in 378 appearances between 1958-68, and a key member of Bill Nicholson’s double team in 1960/61, was there when Pele made his breakthrough on the world stage in Sweden. Indeed, his first World Cup goal broke Wales’ hearts in the last eight.

He recalled: “We played Brazil in the quarter-finals in Sweden. They were the favourites and had some great players - Didi, Vava, Garrincha - and a youngster called Pele, playing in one of his first games for Brazil. As soon as he touched the ball you knew he had it all.

“He scored the goal, his first World Cup goal. Although we were disappointed to get beaten, it was, in some ways, something special to be on the field at the same time as Pele, to see the emergence of possibly the greatest player the world has ever seen. It’s a memory that has always stood out for me.

“I’d say now, he’s the best player the world has ever seen. He was a special character on the field, and off the field. Sadly, we’ve lost one of the greats.”

Turn the clock forward 12 years to Pele’s fourth World Cup and Alan, now 81, 373 appearances for us 1964-72, FA Cup, UEFA Cup and twice League Cup winner, was part of the England squad defending the world title they’d famously won at Wembley Stadium in 1966.

England met Brazil in the group stage in one of the all-time great World Cup matches - seen as an era-defining clash between current and future champions. Bobby Moore gave one of his best, if not his best, performances, Gordon Banks produced what became known as ‘the save of the century’ to keep out Pele’s header and Brazil won it 1-0 via Jairzinho’s strike on the hour.

Recalling that day at the Estádio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Alan said: “I’ve heard people say that it was the most brilliant game to watch, football played how it should be played. It wasn’t played at a great pace because of the heat in Mexico, 100 degrees in the shade, but it was played by so many fantastic players. We missed some good chances and then Brazil scored and we ended up losing 1-0.

“These are moments people can never forget - Banksy’s save, Bobby Moore’s tackle on Pele. That Brazil team, I wouldn’t say they were unbeatable, we came close, but the players they had, the quality, they were incredible. You only have to watch the final. I spoke to Pele after the game and we became good friends. He told me that the only team they feared in Mexico was England. That was a great compliment.”

Speaking to us this morning, Alan added: "I remember I was 15, sweeping the terraces at Fulham as part of the ground staff, turning on the TV, black and white, and watching this lad, who was 17, play for Brazil. He was the star. He scored two goals in the final as Brazil won the World Cup.

"I thought, 'he's 17, I'm 15, I'm sweeping terraces, I want to become a footballer'. Then, 12 years later, I'm playing against him, England against Brazil, at the World Cup. It was a dream come true. It's so difficult to compare eras, the pitches we played on, the boots we wore, the footballs we played with, players trying to kick lumps out of him every time he played, but we've lost the greatest of all-time, without question."