With two goals in a resounding Brazil win, a teenage striker announced himself on the global stage at the 1958 World Cup.
Already a star of his country’s Campeonato Paulista, for clubs in and around Sao Paulo, he had travelled to Sweden as one of South America’s brightest talents, eager to deliver the Selecao their first ever World Cup trophy.
In the tiny town of Uddevalla, north of Gothenburg, things couldn’t have begun any better for 19-year-old Palmeiras forward Mazzola. It was he, not Santos’ 17-year-old striker, Pele, who started Brazil’s opening game of that tournament and scored twice in a 3-0 win over Austria.
As it turned out, Mazzola would never net for Brazil again. Three days later, he was injured in a 0-0 draw against England, just as…
