It’s not uncommon to hear football fans lament the modern game, with many feeling that an over-emphasis on club football has led to international tournaments shrinking in stature.
However, the excitement that surrounds the FIFA World Cup can never be matched by a club game because the tournament has witnessed some of the greatest performers ever write their name in history.
Arguably the first such example is Brazil legend Pele, who was an unknown 17-year old when he played his first tournament at Sweden in 1958.
He found himself on the score-sheet in both the semi-finals and the finals, where he scored a hat-trick and brace, respectively, as Brazil lifted their maiden World Cup.
He only played one game in 1962 and in 1966 Brazil failed to make it out of the group stages, thanks in no small part to Pele getting the worst of some excessive fouling from the opposition.
The 1966 campaign left a bitter taste in his mouth and he vowed never to play another World Cup thereafter. However, he was back four years later as Brazil won the tournament for the third time.