- Brazil began their latest World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco
- Pele played twice at Goodison Park during the 1966 World Cup
- Grand Old Lady hosted Brazil, Pele and Eusebio in one huge group-stage story
Brazil may have begun their latest World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco, but there was little about the performance that evoked memories of football’s great entertainers.
Hard working? Perhaps.
Convincing? Not really.
For long periods, the five-time world champions looked more workmanlike than brilliant, a far cry from the Brazil sides that built the country’s reputation as football royalty.
Yet for Evertonians, seeing Brazil back on the World Cup stage inevitably stirs memories of a different era altogether.
Long before the Hill Dickinson, before the Premier League and before football became quite so polished, the greatest player the game has ever known walked out at Goodison Park.
Not in a friendly. In a World Cup.
That still feels extraordinary now.
Goodison welcomed the greatest
In 1966, Goodison Park was one of the venues chosen to host the World Cup, and Brazil played all three of their group games there.
For supporters on Merseyside, it meant the chance to see the reigning world champions up close. More than that, it meant the chance to see Pele.
He was only 25, but already a two-time World Cup winner and the most famous footballer on the planet. Imagine that: the greatest player in the world turning up at Goodison for a group-stage match.
Pele scored in Brazil’s opening 2-0 win over Bulgaria, with Garrincha also on the scoresheet. Two icons, the Grand Old Lady, and a slice of football history.
Beauty, brutality and heartbreak
But Brazil’s 1966 tournament did not become another glorious chapter.
Pele was kicked from pillar to post by opponents, in an era when creative players were given nothing like the protection they receive today. He missed Brazil’s 3-1 defeat to Hungary, then returned for the decisive game against Portugal.
That night at Goodison brought together Pele and Eusebio, two of the great names of world football.
Portugal won 3-1. Eusebio scored twice. Brazil, the holders, were out before the knockout stage.
For Brazil, it was a disaster.
For Goodison, it was a moment of history.
A memory worth holding onto
As Everton move forward, it is natural that so much attention now turns to the Hill Dickinson and what comes next.
But Goodison’s story remains.
It was not just the scene of Everton triumphs, derby days and last-minute limbs. It was also a World Cup stage. A place where Pele scored, Eusebio shone and Brazil’s golden era briefly passed through L4.
Brazil’s draw with Morocco may belong to the modern World Cup.
But for Evertonians, it also opens the door to older memories.
The day the world’s greatest footballer came to Goodison Park – and left a small part of his legend behind.
