The King of Football continues to reign supreme at the top of the historic ranking of champions of the biggest tournament on the planet, with a brand intact for more than five decades
Former Brazilian striker Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, is the only player in the history of the sport to win the cup on three different occasions. THE biggest idol of the Brazilian team lifted football’s top trophy in editions in Sweden (1958), Chile (1962) and Mexico (1970). This performance consolidated him with an absolute record that remains unattainable, surpassing all the great stars that emerged in subsequent generations.
How Pelé reached the top of the world
The journey towards an unprecedented third championship began when Pelé was still a teenager. In 1958, at just 17 years old, he took over the starting line-up during the tournament in Sweden and was fundamental in the final stretch of the competitionscoring incredible goals that guaranteed Brazil’s first title. Four years later, in Chile, the number 10 started the campaign as the main global star, but suffered a muscle injury in the second game. Despite watching the rest of the World Cup off the field, he was part of the squad that, led by Garrincha, secured the country’s second title.
The definitive consecration as three-time champion occurred in the 1970 edition. Commanding the squad considered by experts as the biggest selection everPelé once again shined brightly in Mexico. He was the great maestro of a magical team, scoring a header in the final against Italy and securing definitive possession of the Jules Rimet Cup.
The ranking of the biggest winners in history
Below the Brazilian legend, there is a select group of former athletes who achieved the feat of winning the second championship. No one other than Pelé, whether from Europe, South America or another continent, has managed to put three FIFA gold medals on his chest as a player.
See the list of athletes who came closest to the historic top:
- 1st Place: Pelé (Brazil) – 3 titles: Undisputed champion in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Isolated at the top of the ranking.
- 2nd Place: Cafu and Ronaldo Fenômeno (Brazil) – 2 titles: The stars of the national team were part of the tetra in 1994 and were absolute protagonists in the penta in 2002.
- 3rd Place: Daniel Passarella (Argentina) – 2 titles: The defender went down in history as the only two-time Argentine athletebeing present in the 1978 and 1986 titles.
- 4th Place: Base do Brasil from 1958 and 1962 – 2 titles: Historic names in the sport such as Garrincha, Didi, Vavá, Zagallo, Gilmar and Djalma Santos lifted the cups in sequence in the country’s Golden Era.
- 5th Place: Base of Italy 1934 and 1938 – 2 titles: Stars of the period such as Giuseppe Meazza and Giovanni Ferrari actively participated in both first glories of Italian football.
Any active player threatens the historic brand
The weight of winning the world tournament becomes even more evident when we compare it to the current football scenario. Today, There are no active players with two World Cup titles under his belt. This means that the mathematical pursuit of King Pelé’s brand is completely unfeasible in the short term.
French striker Kylian Mbappé reached the goal of joining the list of two-time champions by winning in Russia in 2018 and reaching the final in Qatar in 2022, but finished runner-up in the last edition. Lionel Messi, who crowned the final stretch of his career with the dramatic victory of Argentina also in 2022, has a single gold medal on his shelf. Other European giants who won in the recent past with Germany (2014) or Spain (2010) have already hung up their boots or are no longer in the squad.
Lifting three cups in the most demanding competition on the calendar not only demands an eye for goal and refined technique, but impressive physical longevity within the national selection cycles. THE perfect combination of genius and regularity over twelve years is what immortalizes the Brazilian legend as the champion of champions.
