22 December 2010 - If You Think It Was A Minor Change, You Don't Know Brazilian Football

On 22 December 2010, the Brazilian Football Confederation shook up the Brazilian top flight by officially recognizing the winners of past tournaments as national champions.

Although Brazilian football dates back to the 1890s, a formal national league system did not exist until 1971. Prior to that, teams competed in regional and local leagues, as well as a couple of national tournaments, the Taça Brasil (not to be confused with the Copa do Brasil), played from 1959 to 1968, and the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, also known as the Taça de Prata, played from 1967 to 1970.

In 1971, the Taça de Prata became the Campeonato Brasileiro, the current league system, of which Série A is the top flight. Initially, the CFB recognized only the Série A winners as national champions, which meant that, as of 2010, São Paulo's six league titles were the most of any team, followed by Flamengo's five (Flamengo claims a disputed sixth title from 1987, though the CFB does not recognize it).

But in 2010, a handful of clubs, including Palmeiras and Santos, petitioned the CFB to recognize the winners of the earlier competitions as national champions. Not coincidentally, the change meant that Palmeiras and Santos each had a shared-record eight combined titles, ahead of Sáo Paulo, who were still stuck at six. 

Palmeiras won the league in 2016 to extend the record to 9. 

19 December 2004 - Santos Returns To The Top

On 19 December 2004, Santos won a record-tying eighth Brazilian league title, beating Vasco da Gama on the season's last day.

Santos had been the most dominant Brazilian team of the 1960s, winning six league titles between 1961 and 1968. But the four following decades were relatively barren in terms of major trophies (though they did win the 1998 Copa CONMEBOL). They started a resurgence in the early 2000s, winning a seventh title in 2002, then finishing as runners-up in 2003.

In 2004, led by their top scorers Deivid de Souza (22 goals) and Robinho (21), they started the season's last day in the top spot, one point ahead of Atlético Paranaense. Atlético were at home against relegation-threatened Botafogo, while Santos were at home against Vasco, who were stuck firmly in mid-table.

Needing a win to ensure their title, Santos got off to a quick start with a goal from Ricardinho in the 5th minute. Elano then doubled the lead in the 30th minute. Marco Brito pulled one back for the visitors in the 61st minute, but it was their only goal and the match finished as a 2-1 Santos win.

It was their eighth league title, matching the record set by Palmeiras in 1994. Palmeiras reclaimed the record in 2016, however, by winning a ninth title.

11 October 1962 - He Really Did Earn That Reputation, You Know

On 11 October 1962, Pelé won the battle of superstars, outdoing Eusébio with a hat-trick to lead Santos over Benfica for their first Intercontinental Cup.

The contest matched Santos, the reigning Copa Libertadores champions, against European Cup winners Benfica. In the first leg, played at the Maracaña on 19 September, Pelé scored an 85th-minute match-winner with the final score of 3-2.

In the second leg, played in Lisbon's Estádio da Luz, the striker picked up where he left off, opening the scoring in the 15th minute with a sliding tap-in from a low cross. Ten minutes later, he doubled lead with an impressive finish after avoiding two tackles, then blowing by a third defender.

Santos stretched their lead to five after a goal from Coutinho (48'), another from Pelé (64'), and one from Pepe (77') before Benfica finally got on the scoresheet with an 85th-minute goal from Eusébio. Four minutes later, they cut the margin to 2-4 after a strike from Joaquim Santana (who had provided both of their goals in the first leg). But it was too little, too late for the Portuguese side as they fell to Santos, 2-5.

It was the second time Benfica had conceded five goals in the Intercontinental Cup--they lost 5-0 to Peñarol in the second leg the year before, then fell 2-1 in the play-off. Santos had better luck in the competition, repeating as champions in 1963 by beating AC Milan.

30 September 1962 - Santos Liberate The Cup

On 30 September 1962, a brace from Pelé helped Santos capture their first Copa Libertadores, beating two-time defending champions Peñarol in a replay.

Peñarol were appearing in their third straight final after winning the first two editions of the tournament in 1960 and 1961. Santos, meanwhile, were in the final for the first time. The two teams had finished the first two legs with one win each, with the Brazilians taking a 1-2 victory in Montevideo and the Uruguayans returning the favor in São Paulo, 2-3.

Level with two points each, the tournament rules required a replay at a neutral venue to determine the winner. Playing before a crowd of 60,000 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Peñarol were wrong-footed early when their midfielder Omar Caetano put the ball into his own net in the 11th minute. Peñarol were unable to put the ball into Santos' net, however, while 20-year old Pelé, who had scored twice in the first round, doubled his tournament tally with goals in the 48th and 89th minutes to seal the 3-0 victory.

It proved to be the start of a strong international run for Santos, who went on to repeat as Copa Libertadores champions in 1963 while following both wins with victories in the Intercontinental Cup.

11 September 1963 - A Second For Santos

On 11 September 1963, Santos overpowered Boca Juniors to win their second consecutive Copa Libertadores. And just like the previous one, Pelé provided the clinching goal.

The final was played over legs; in the first, played at the Maracaña in Rio de Janeiro, Santos won 3-2 with a trio of first-half goals from Coutinho (2', 21') and Antônio Lima dos Santos (28'). Under the rules in place at the time, the winner was determined by points, with two points for a win and one point for a draw, with goal differential not taken into account. So, in the second leg, the best Boca could hope for was a win to force a deciding replay.

Playing before a crowd of about 50,000 at the Estadio Camilo Cichero in Buenos Aires, they looked on track to meet that goal after taking a 1-0 lead in the 46th minute thanks to a goal from striker José Sanfilippo. But only four minutes later, Coutinho scored an equalizer. Then, while Boca pressed forward for a life-preserving goal, Pelé struck, finding the net in the 82nd minute and snuffing Boca's hopes for a replay.

The goal was Pelé's fifth of the tournament, making him its second-highest scorer behind Sanfilippo, who had 7.

While the win denied Boco their first Copa Libertadores title, they went on to become one of the most successful teams in the competition, winning it a total of 6 times between 1977 and 2007. Santos, meanwhile, won it for a third time in 2011.

21 November 1973 - The Soviets Avoid A Chile Reception

On 21 November 1973, Chile beat the Soviet Union 1-0 in a World Cup qualifying play-off match. It helped that the Soviets didn't bother to show up.

For the first time ever, World Cup qualification pitted a European team against a South American team in a playoff for the final spot in the tournament. The two teams drew 0-0 in the first leg, played in Moscow on 26 September. The second leg was scheduled for the National Stadium in Santiago, which had recently been used as a prison camp during that year's Chilean coup d'etat led by US-supported General Augusto Pinochet against Soviet-backed President Salvador Allende.

The Soviets refused to play in the stadium, effectively withdrawing from the tournament. The match went ahead as scheduled, though, with the Chileans kicking off before a crowd of thousands. They passed the ball down the pitch to their captain, who kicked it in from right in front of the goal. FIFA, however, declared the match a forfeit.

Immediately afterward, Chile hosted a friendly against Brazilian club Santos and lost 5-0.

1 October 1977 - The End Of An Era

On 1 October 1977, Pelé played the last match of his outstanding career - an exhibition between his two former clubs, the New York Cosmos and Santos, with Pelé playing one half for each side.

The match was played at New Jersey's Giants Stadium before a capacity crowd of 77,000 that included such luminaries as President Jimmy Carter and Muhammad Ali. After a pre-match speech in which he asked the crowd to chant "love" three times, Pelé played the first half for the Cosmos and the second for Santos.

Santos took the lead with a first-half goal from Reynaldo, but Pelé equalized for the Cosmos off a direct free kick. It was the final goal of his career. At the half, the Cosmos retired his jersey as he exchanged it for a Santos shirt. His replacement for the Cosmos, striker Ramon Mifflin, then scored the match winner in the second half.

When the match ended, several Cosmos players lifted Pelé and carried him around the stadium as he held a US flag in one hand and a Brazilian flag in the other.

14 April 1912 - The Saints Go Marching In

On 14 April 1912, a group of footballers in the Brazilian city of Santos, located in the state of São Paolo, founded a new football club which they named Santos FC. The club credits their formation to three men in particular - Raimundo Marques, Mário Ferraz de Campos, and Argemiro de Souza Júnior. But they are best known as the 17-year home of Pelé.

Santos enjoyed some modest early success, winning a handful of regional competitions starting with the Santos City Championship in 1913 and 1915, but they reached their highest heights only after the arrival of the then 15-year old Pelé in 1956. Within a few short years, Santos were established as a national power, winning five consecutive Brazilian Cups from 1961 through 1965. During that period, they also twice won South America's Copa Libertadores (1962 and 1963).

After Pelé's departure in 1974 for the New York Cosmos, Santos went into decline. They enjoyed a resurgence in the early 2000s, however, winning the Brazilian top flight in 2002 and 2004 with help from their skillful young forward Robinho.

Robinho left in 2005 for Real Madrid, triggering another dip in Santos' fortunes. Although they have not won a league title since then, they've enjoyed international success, winning the Copa Libertadores in 2011 and the Recopa Sudamericana in 2012 helped in both cases by the play of star forward Neymar, who left for Barcelona in 2013.

14 March 1973 - Plymouth Rocks Pelé

On 14 March 1973, fresh off their defeat to Fulham two days earlier, Santos FC continued their England tour with a friendly against Third Division side Plymouth Argyle. And lost again.

Controversy erupted before the Brazilian side even took the pitch. According to Argyle chairman Robert Daniel, Santos officials refused to let the team play unless the hosts ponied up an additional £2,500 more than the contracted fee. Daniel initially refused, but with a capacity crowd of over 37,000 at Plymouth's Home Park to see world-famous players such as 1970 World Cup winners Carlos Alberto, Edú, and the most celebrated player of all, Pelé, he eventually capitulated and paid the extra amount.

He was glad he did, as Argyle took a 3rd-minute lead with a rocket from Mike Dowling, who fired the ball from outside the box into the top right corner of the net. A diving header from Derek Rickard doubled their lead, then a failed attempt by Santos keeper Claudio to corral a cross allowed Argyle's Jimmy Hinch to slot in from close range and extend the margin to 3-0 by the break. When the halftime whistle blew, supporters rushed onto the pitch and swarmed around Pelé seeking autographs.

The second half was a different story, as a penalty kick from Pelé and a late goal from Edú closed the gap to 3-2, but that was it. Argyle held on until full time to claim one of their most historic victories.

(For video of the match, visit http://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/santos72H.asp.)

12 March 1973 - Pelé Comes To London

On 12 March 1973, Pelé and Santos FC visited London for a friendly against Second Division Fulham. And lost 2-1.

Although Pelé had been in England with Brazil for the 1966 World Cup, all of Brazil's matches had been played at Goodison Park, making the Fulham match his first in the English capital. His Santos teammates that day included fellow 1970 World Cup winners Carlos Alberto and Edú.

A season-high crowd of 21,464 turned out at Craven Cottage for the game. Pelé, who was already an established international star, was the center of attention, receiving rounds of applause every time he touched of the ball. But Edú turned in the most impressive performance for the visitors with a combination of speed and style.

Santos went ahead with a penalty kick from Pelé, who slipped the ball past Fulham keeper Peter Mellor, but the Cottagers fought back. Midfielder Alan Pinkney, not generally known as a scorer, provided the equalizer, while striker Steve Earle scored the winning goal. It was a hard-fought victory for the hosts; post-match reports described the Fulham players as looking exhausted, while the Brazilians appeared to have barely broken a sweat.

Afterward, a dispute arose between the two clubs, as Santos believed that Fulham had short-changed them on their percentage of the gate. Any animosity between Fulham and Pelé did not last, though, as he later went on to scout for the club in 2002.

19 November 1969 - O Milésimo

On 19 November 1969, Santos defeated Vasco da Gama away, 1-2, before a crowd of over 65,000 at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The winning goal was scored by 29-year old Santos forward Pelé--his 1,000th goal for club and country.

The Brazilian public was eager to see the goal, known as "o milésimo." In Santos' previous match, with Pelé sitting on 999 goals, the home crowd booed when one of their own players blocked one of Pelé's subsequent shots. The Vasco da Gama supporters were no different, cheering each of his attempts on 19 November. The Vasco da Gama players, however, were eager to prevent the milestone from occurring against them. Indeed, when a Santos player sent in a cross for Pelé, a Vasco defender headed it into his own goal rather than allow Pelé to receive it.

The moment finally arrived late in the match after Pelé was tripped in the box and the referee signaled for a penalty. Pelé calmly stepped up to the spot and slotted a low shot into the bottom right corner to claim the win. The crowd invaded the pitch and carried Pelé away on their shoulders.

By the time he retired in 1977, Pelé had scored a record-setting 1,281 goals. While some critics claim that several of the goals should not count because they were scored in friendlies, FIFA nevertheless recognizes Pelé's 1,281 goals as the most ever scored by a professional footballer.

23 October 1940 - If Football Is Your Religion, Today Is Your Christmas

On 23 October 1940, Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born in Três Corações, Brazil. Better known as "Pelé," he went on to become one of football's first global superstars.

He began his professional football career with Brazilian club Santos, for whom he played from 1956 to 1974. During that time, Santos won loads of silverware, including ten league titles and five Taça Brasil trophies. Pelé made 656 official appearances for Santos in all competitions, scoring 643 goals. He was the Brazilian top flight's top scorer eleven times.

Between 1957 and 1971, he made 92 appearances for the Brazilian national team. He scored 77 goals, making him the national team's all-time top scorer. Along the way, he became the only footballer to be a member of three World Cup-winning teams (1958, 1962, 1970).

In 1975, he signed with the New York Cosmos, helping them to the league title in 1977.

He played his last match on 1 October 1977, an exhibition between the Cosmos and Santos. Pelé played the first half for New York, scoring on a free kick. He then switched sides to play for Santos in the second half. New York won 2-1. After the match, several Cosmos players carried Pelé around the field while he held up the flags of Brazil and the United States.

Pelé reportedly acquired his nickname as a schoolboy due to his mispronounciation of the last name of Vasco de Gama goalkeeper Bilé.

7 July 1957 - And Sometimes A Bright Start Leads To A Bright Future

On 7 July 1957, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, made his national team debut for Brazil in a 2-1 loss to Argentina. The 16-year, 9-month old forward scored Brazil's only goal, becoming the youngest person to score in international competition at that time.

He had been a professional footballer for only one year, having signed with Santos FC in 1956 at the age of fifteen. He quickly established himself in the national team and was instrumental in Brazil's title-winning run in the 1958 World Cup. He scored six goals, including a hat-trick in Brazil's semi-final match against France and a brace against Sweden in the Final.

Pelé was a member of Brazil's squad for the 1962 World Cup, but was injured in the second game and missed the rest of the tournament, including the Final in which Brazil successfully defended their title. The 1966 World Cup was similarly frustrating for him, as Brazil's opponents resorted to violent tackles in order to stop him. He had to be carried off the pitch in the third match, a 3-1 defeat to Portugal, as Brazil were eliminated. After the tournament, he was so disheartened by the treatment he received that he said he would not play in any further World Cups.

He eventually reconsidered, however, and was persuaded to rejoin the national team for the 1970 World Cup, which was to be his last. Brazil was again triumphant, defeating Italy 4-1 in a memorable Final. With the win, Pelé became the only player in the history of football to win three World Cups.

He remains the Brazilian national team's top scorer, with 77 goals in 92 appearances.

16 November 1963 - A Second For Santos

On 16 November 1963, Santos beat AC Milan 1-0 in a playoff to win their second consecutive Intercontinental Cup.

Milan, who had just won their first European Cup the previous May, hosted the first leg of the Intercontinental Cup at the San Siro on 16 October and won 4-2. But the second leg, played at the Maracaña on 14 November, ended 4-2 to the defending champions, despite the fact that their star and captain Pelé, who had scored both of their goals in the earlier game, was out due to injury.

The result forced a deciding playoff, so the teams returned to the Maracaña two days later. With Pelé still missing, the match came down to the slimmest of margins. In the 31st minute, Milan captain Cesare Maldini fouled Santos forward Almir, resulting in his own ejection and a penalty kick for Santos, which was converted by defender Dalmo Gaspar.

Santos held on to the 1-0 lead despite a second-half ejection of their own and claimed their second straight trophy. It remains their last, however, while Milan went on to win it three times (and also won the successor tournament, the Club World Cup, in 2007).

22 December 2010 - If You Think It Was A Minor Change, You Don't Know Brazilian Football

On 22 December 2010, the Brazilian Football Confederation shook up the Brazilian top flight by officially recognizing the winners of past tournaments as national champions.

Although Brazilian football dates back to the 1890s, a formal national league system did not exist until 1971. Prior to that, teams competed in regional and local leagues, as well as a couple of national tournaments, the Taça Brasil (not to be confused with the Copa do Brasil), played from 1959 to 1968, and the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, also known as the Taça de Prata, played from 1967 to 1970.

In 1971, the Taça de Prata became the Campeonato Brasileiro, the current league system, of which Série A is the top flight. Initially, the CFB recognized only the Série A winners as national champions, which meant that, as of 2010, São Paulo's six league titles were the most of any team, followed by Flamengo's five (Flamengo claims a disputed sixth title from 1987, though the CFB does not recognize it).

But in 2010, a handful of clubs, including Palmeiras and Santos, petitioned the CFB to recognize the winners of the earlier competitions as national champions. Not coincidentally, when the confederation announced its decision, both Palmeiras and Santos each had a shared-record eight combined titles, ahead of Sáo Paulo, who were still stuck at six.

The 2012 season recently ended and those three teams remain the top three with an unchanged tally.

19 December 2004 - Santos Returns To The Top

On 19 December 2004, Santos won a record-tying eighth Brazilian league title, beating Vasco da Gama on the season's last day.

Santos had been the most dominant Brazilian team of the 1960s, winning six league titles between 1961 and 1968. But the four following decades were relatively barren in terms of major trophies (though they did win the 1998 Copa CONMEBOL). They started a resurgence in the early 2000s, winning a seventh title in 2002, then finishing as runners-up in 2003.

In 2004, led by their top scorers Deivid de Souza (22 goals) and Robinho (21), they started the season's last day in the top spot, one point ahead of Atlético Paranaense. Atlético were at home against relegation-threatened Botafogo, while Santos were at home against Vasco, who were stuck firmly in mid-table.

Needing a win to ensure their title, Santos got off to a quick start with a goal from Ricardinho in the 5th minute. Elano then doubled the lead in the 30th minute. Marco Brito pulled one back for the visitors in the 61st minute, but it was their only goal and the match finished as a 2-1 Santos win.

It was their eighth league title, matching the record set by Palmeiras in 1994. And it remains the current record, as neither team has since added to their total.

21 December 2009 - The Award Train Keeps Rolling For Marta

On 21 December 2009, Brazilian forward Marta was named FIFA's Player of the Year for a record fourth time. And she didn't stop there.

Born in 1986, Marta began her professional career in 2000 with Vasco da Gama. In 2003, she moved to Sweden to play for Umeå IK, where she won her first silverware by capturing four league titles, one Swedish Cup, and the 2003-04 UEFA Women's Cup. She scored three goals over the two legs of the UEFA Women's Cup Final to beat Frankfurt and their star player, 2003 FIFA World Player of the Year Birgit Prinz. Prinz repeated as World Player of the Year in 2004 and again in 2005 to set the record at three.

In 2006, Marta won her first Player of the Year award after her third straight season as the Swedish league's top scorer. She won it again in 2007 and 2008, both times over second-place finisher Prinz.

After the third one, Marta moved to the United States to play for the Los Angeles Sol and led them to the league's best record at the end of the regular season. In the WPS playoffs, they advanced to the Final before losing to Sky Blue FC. Marta was the league's top scorer and duly won her record fourth Player of the Year award.

Since then, she went on to win the award in 2010 to stretch the record to five and is in contention for a sixth when the 2011 award is announced on 9 January.

11 October 1962 - He Really Did Earn That Reputation, You Know

On 11 October 1962, Pelé won the battle of superstars, outdoing Eusébio with a hat-trick to lead Santos over Benfica for their first Intercontinental Cup.

The contest matched Santos, the reigning Copa Libertadores champions, against European Cup winners Benfica. In the first leg, played at the Maracaña on 19 September, Pelé scored an 85th-minute match-winner with the final score of 3-2.

In the second leg, played in Lisbon's Estádio da Luz, the striker picked up where he left off, opening the scoring in the 15th minute with a sliding tap-in from a low cross. Ten minutes later, he doubled lead with an impressive finish after avoiding two tackles, then blowing by a third defender.

Santos stretched their lead to five after a goal from Coutinho (48'), another from Pelé (64'), and one from Pepe (77') before Benfica finally got on the scoresheet with an 85th-minute goal from Eusébio. Four minutes later, they cut the margin to 2-4 after a strike from Joaquim Santana (who had provided both of their goals in the first leg). But it was too little, too late for the Portuguese side as they fell to Santos, 2-5.

It was the second time Benfica had conceded five goals in the Intercontinental Cup--they lost 5-0 to Peñarol in the second leg the year before, then fell 2-1 in the play-off. Santos had better luck in the competition, repeating as champions in 1963 by beating AC Milan.

30 September 1962 - Santos Liberate The Cup

On 30 September 1962, a brace from Pelé helped Santos capture their first Copa Libertadores, beating two-time defending champions Peñarol in a replay.

Peñarol were appearing in their third straight final after winning the first two editions of the tournament in 1960 and 1961. Santos, meanwhile, were in the final for the first time. The two teams had finished the first two legs with one win each, with the Brazilians taking a 1-2 victory in Montevideo and the Uruguayans returning the favor in São Paulo, 2-3.

Level with two points each, the tournament rules required a replay at a neutral venue to determine the winner. Playing before a crowd of 60,000 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Peñarol were wrong-footed early when their midfielder Omar Caetano put the ball into his own net in the 11th minute. Peñarol were unable to put the ball into Santos' net, however, while 20-year old Pelé, who had scored twice in the first round, doubled his tournament tally with goals in the 48th and 89th minutes to seal the 3-0 victory.

It proved to be the start of a strong international run for Santos, who went on to repeat as Copa Libertadores champions in 1963 while following both wins with victories in the Intercontinental Cup.

11 September 1963 - A Second For Santos

On 11 September 1963, Santos overpowered Boca Juniors to win their second consecutive Copa Libertadores. And just like the previous one, Pelé provided the clinching goal.

The final was played over legs; in the first, played at the Maracaña in Rio de Janeiro, Santos won 3-2 with a trio of first-half goals from Coutinho (2', 21') and Antônio Lima dos Santos (28'). Under the rules in place at the time, the winner was determined by points, with two points for a win and one point for a draw, with goal differential not taken into account. So, in the second leg, the best Boca could hope for was a win to force a deciding replay.

Playing before a crowd of about 50,000 at the Estadio Camilo Cichero in Buenos Aires, they looked on track to meet that goal after taking a 1-0 lead in the 46th minute thanks to a goal from striker José Sanfilippo. But only four minutes later, Coutinho scored an equalizer. Then, while Boca pressed forward for a life-preserving goal, Pelé struck, finding the net in the 82nd minute and snuffing Boca's hopes for a replay.

The goal was Pelé's fifth of the tournament, making him its second-highest scorer behind Sanfilippo, who had 7.

While the win denied Boco their first Copa Libertadores title, they went on to become one of the most successful teams in the competition, winning it a total of 6 times between 1977 and 2007. Santos, meanwhile, won it for a third time in 2011.