The FIFA World Cup is fast approaching, and it is high time we here at the Best of Brazil blog got the ball rolling, so to speak. In order to do our part in generating some insane levels of enthusiasm for this year’s “Seleção Brasileira”, we have decided to run a series of posts dedicated to Brazil’s greatest players, past and present, known and unknown.

And we are going to kick things off – again so to speak – with the undisputed king of them all, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, aka Pelé.

This video (in Portuguese) features the amazing goal that won Brazil it’s first World Cup title, against Switzerland. The goal is a thing of beauty. Pelé kicks over the head of an opposing player, then rockets it into the goal. The goalkeeper doesn’t so much miss it as not see it go by until it is already in the net.

The video above shows the original footage of the goal, then re-creates it digitally from many angles. You don’t even have to be a soccer fan to understand what a thing of beauty this was.

The above video is a little long, but if you’re anything like us, you will be mesmerized by Pelé and his “Samba Soccer“.

Finally, a video compilation of ten of Pelé’s greatest goals. Number one is breath-taking, and they get better from there.

Here’s hoping that his heirs reproduce a little (or a lot) of this magic in 2018.

For Pelé’s autobiography, click here (this link, and some in text links, are affiliate links that help us bring you the very best in Brazilian media).