Santos FC 1958

The Santos team from 1958 was the São Paulo state champion that introduced Pelé to the world. Coached by Lula, the team scored 143 goals in the Campeonato Paulista, and Pelé was the top scorer with 58.

History

Santos Football Club was founded on April 14, 1912 and plays its matches at Vila Belmiro. In 1955, the club regained the Campeonato Paulista championship, a title it hadn't won since 1935, and began forming the foundation of the generation that would dominate football in the following years. In 1956, Pelé joined the club from Bauru Atlético Clube, brought by Waldemar de Brito. He made his debut for the main team in September that year in a victory over Corinthians de Santo André, and soon established himself in the attack alongside teammates such as Pepe, Dorval, and Coutinho. In 1958, under the command of coach Lula, Santos won the Campeonato Paulista with 143 goals scored, a record that remains the highest in the competition's history. Pelé finished as the tournament's top scorer with 58 goals, also a record. Shortly after the state championship, Pelé went to the 1958 World Cup in Sweden and won the world championship at 17 years old. The success of the team that year paved the way for an era of great achievements for Santos in the 1960s.