Pele`s Santos vs. European Clubs - Statistical Overview

Discussion in 'The Beautiful Game' started by Gregoriak, Dec 19, 2004.

  1. Gregoriak

    Gregoriak BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 27, 2002
    Munich
    This info is taken from statistical section of the 1977 book "My Life And The Beautiful Game" by Pelé.


    AUSTRIA
    07-02-1959 0-3 – Austria Wien
    1 defeat
    0-3 goals

    0 goals scored by Pelé

    BELGIUM
    05-26-1959 1-0 - Royal Standard
    05-27-1959 4-2 2 RSC Anderlecht
    05-30-1959 1-2 – Gentoise
    05-19-1960 4-3 1 Royal Standard
    05-28-1960 6-0 2 RSC Anderlecht
    05-31-1960 10-1 4 Royal Beerschot
    06-11-1960 5-2 2 Gentoise
    06-12-1960 3-1 – Selection Antwerp
    06-04-1961 4-4 – Selection Antwerp
    03-01-1972 0-0 – RSC Anderlecht
    03-06-1973 1-0 – Royal Standard
    8 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat
    39-15 goals

    11 goals scored by Pelé
    73 % won
    28 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 4-1, 1 goal by Pelé

    CSSR
    02-15-1959 3-4 – UDA Duklas
    01-16-1965 6-4 3 Selection CSSR
    01-13-1968 4-1 – Selection CSSR
    2 wins, 1 defeat
    13-9 goals

    3 goals scored by Pelé
    67 % won
    23 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 4-3, 1 goal by Pelé

    ENGLAND
    10-22-1961 4-2 1 Sheffield Wednesday
    09-22-1969 3-2 2 Stoke City
    09-21-1970 2-2 2 West Ham United
    02-02-1971 1-0 – FC Chelsea
    02-21-1972 1-2 – Aston Villa
    02-23-1972 2-0 - Sheffield Wednesday
    06-04-1972 4-2 3 Newcastle United
    06-13-1972 2-2 1 Coventry City
    5 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat
    19-12 goals

    9 goals scored by Pelé
    63 % won
    47 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 2-1, 1 goal by Pelé

    FRANCE
    06-07-1960 5-3 1 Stade Reims
    06-09-1960 4-1 1 Racing Paris
    06-17-1960 3-1 1 Stade Reims
    06-23-1960 3-0 2 FC Toulouse
    06-07-1961 6-1 1 Racing Paris
    06-09-1961 6-2 2 Olympique Lyonnais
    06-13-1961 5-4 1 Racing Paris
    10-17-1962 5-2 2 Racing Paris
    03-31-1971 0-0 – Selection Marseille / St. Etienne
    8 wins, 1 draw
    37-14 goals

    11 goals scored by Pelé
    89 % won
    30 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 4-2, 1 goal by Pelé

    GREECE
    06-28-1961 3-0 1 AEK Athens
    06-30-1961 3-2 2 Panathinaikos Athens
    07-04-1961 1-2 – Olimpiakos Piraeus
    08-24-1966 1-0 – AEK Athens
    3 wins, 1 defeat
    8-4 goals

    3 goals scored by Pelé
    75 % won
    38 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 2-1, 1 goal by Pelé

    HUNGARY
    02-10-1967 2-2 1 Vasas Budapest
    01-23-1968 4-0 1 Vasas Budapest
    1 wins, 1 draw
    6-2 goals

    2 goals scored by Pelé
    50 % won
    33 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 3-1, 1 goal by Pelé

    IRELAND
    02-26-1972 3-2 – Bohemians Drumcondra
    1 win
    3-2 goals

    0 goals scored by Pelé

    ITALY
    06-05-1959 2-3 2 Inter Milano
    06-26-1959 7-1 4 Inter Milano
    06-30-1959 4-2 - Genoa
    06-01-1960 3-2 1 AS Roma
    06-03-1960 0-3 – Fiorentina
    06-18-1960 2-0 1 Juventus Torino
    06-21-1961 5-0 2 AS Roma
    06-24-1961 4-1 1 Inter Milano
    06-15-1963 4-3 2 AS Roma
    06-19-1963 0-2 – Inter Milano
    06-22-1963 0-4 – AC Milan
    06-26-1963 3-5 1 Juventus Torino
    10-16-1963 2-4 2 AC Milan
    11-14-1963 4-2 – AC Milan
    09-05-1966 4-1 1 Inter Milano
    06-17-1967 2-1 1 Mantua
    06-20-1967 1-0 – Venice
    06-24-1967 5-1 3 US Lecce
    06-27-1967 1-1 – Fiorentina
    06-29-1967 3-1 1 AS Roma
    08-26-1967 0-1 – Inter Milano
    06-09-1968 2-1 – Cagliari
    06-12-1968 2-0 1 Alexandria
    06-21-1968 4-2 1 SSC Napoli
    06-26-1968 6-2 2 SSC Napoli
    06-28-1968 5-2 2 SSC Napoli
    06-24-1969 1-0 – Inter Milano
    09-24-1969 7-1 2 Combination Geneva / Genoa
    06-23-1971 2-1 1 Bologna
    06-27-1971 1-1 - Bologna
    06-30-1971 1-0 1 Bologna
    03-03-1972 2-0 – AS Roma
    03-05-1972 3-2 2 SSC Napoli
    04-29-1972 1-0 – SSC Napoli
    05-01-1972 3-2 2 Cagliari
    06-25-1972 7-1 2 Catanzaro
    05-25-1973 3-0 1 Lazio Roma
    05-28-1973 4-2 2 Lazio Roma
    29 wins, 2 draws, 7 defeats
    110-55 goals

    41 goals scored by Pelé
    76 % won
    37 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 3-1, 1 goal by Pelé

    NETHERLANDS
    06-03-1959 3-0 1 Feijenoord Rotterdam
    06-15-1959 5-0 3 Selection Enschede
    2 wins
    8-0 goals

    4 goals scored by Pelé
    100 % won
    50 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 4-0, 2 goals by Pelé

    PORTUGAL
    06-19-1957 6-1 3 Belenses
    07-23-1957 3-2 1 Benfica Lisboa
    06-19-1959 2-2 1 Sporting Lisboa
    06-15-1961 6-3 2 Benfica Lisboa
    09-19-1962 3-2 2 Benfica Lisboa
    10-11-1962 5-2 3 Benfica Lisboa
    08-21-1966 4-0 1 Benfica Lisboa
    08-18-1968 4-2 – Benfica Lisboa
    09-01-1968 3-3 – Benfica Lisboa
    7 wins, 2 draws
    36-17 goals

    13 goals scored by Pelé
    78 % won
    36 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 4-2, 1 goal by Pelé

    SPAIN
    06-17-1959 3-5 1 Real Madrid
    06-24-1959 4-4 1 FC Valencia
    06-28-1959 5-1 2 FC Barcelona
    07-05-1959 2-2 1 Betis Sevilla
    06-19-1960 2-2 – Espanol Barcelona
    06-25-1960 1-0 – FC Valencia
    07-02-1960 3-4 1 FC Barcelona
    06-12-1963 0-2 – FC Barcelona
    08-28-1967 1-4 – Deportivo Espanol Malaga
    08-29-1967 2-1 – Malaga
    09-17-1969 3-1 – Atletico Madrid
    08-31-1974 0-2 – Espanol Barcelona
    09-01-1974 1-4 1 FC Elche
    09-03-1974 3-2 2 Real Zaragoza
    5 wins, 3 draws, 6 defeats
    30-34 goals

    9 goals scored by Pelé
    36 % won
    30 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 2-2, 1 goal by Pelé

    SWEDEN
    01-12-1957 1-0 – AIK Stockholm
    1 win
    1-0 goals

    0 goals scored by Pelé

    SWITZERLAND
    06-09-1959 4-1 1 Servette Geneva
    06-01-1961 8-2 3 FC Basel
    06-15-1968 4-5 1 FC Zürich
    2 wins, 1 defeat
    16-8 goals

    5 goals scored by Pelé
    66 % won
    31 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 5-3, 2 goals by Pelé

    WEST GERMANY
    06-06-1959 6-4 1 Fortuna Düsseldorf
    06-07-1959 3-3 – 1. FC Nuremberg
    06-11-1959 6-0 1 Selection Hamburg
    06-13-1959 7-1 3 Selection Lower-Saxony
    05-27-1960 9-1 3 TSV 1860 Munich
    06-01-1960 4-2 2 Eintracht
    06-15-1960 4-2 1 Selection Berlin
    06-03-1961 6-3 2 VfL Wolfsburg
    06-26-1961 8-6 3 Karlsruher SC
    10-20-1961 3-3 2 FC Hamburg
    05-29-1963 3-2 1 Selection Lower-Saxony
    06-02-1963 2-1 1 FC Schalke 04
    06-05-1963 5-2 4 Eintracht
    06-08-1963 3-1 1 VfB Stuttgart
    06-13-1967 5-4 2 TSV 1860 Munich
    06-17-1967 3-0 1 Selection Saarland
    07-30-1971 3-1 – Hannover 96
    02-27-1973 0-3 – Combination Bavaria
    06-10-1973 5-0 1 Arminia Bielefeld
    16 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat
    85-39 goals

    29 goals scored by Pelé
    84 % won
    34 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 4-2, 2 goals by Pelé

    YUGOSLAVIA
    06-22-1957 1-1 1 Dinamo Zagreb
    09-10-1969 3-3 1 Red Star Belgrade
    09-12-1969 1-1 – Dinamo Zagreb
    09-15-1969 4-4 1 Danick Kragulevac
    09-19-1969 1-1 1 Zeljesnicar
    5 draws
    10-10 goals

    4 goals scored by Pelé
    0 % won
    40 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
    Average result: 2-2, 1 goal by Pelé
     
  2. dna77054

    dna77054 Member+

    Jun 28, 2003
    houston
    Amazing,

    I imagine that if Pele's Santos had played in the Champions League, they would have won quite a few of them.
     
  3. Ninrod

    Ninrod New Member

    Aug 7, 2004
    São Paulo-Brazil
    it shows how stupid are those guys saying that Pele wasnt tested agains europeans defenses...Anyone who have seen Pele Eterno knows he used to humillate them...
     
  4. Spartak

    Spartak Member

    Nov 6, 1999
    Philly
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think you're inventing an argument where there is none.
     
  5. striker

    striker Member+

    Aug 4, 1999
    I saw this match in a torrential downpour in Hong Kong. One of Pele's goals was one of the best that I have ever seen. IIRC, he received a ball inside the penalty area. He chested the ball, then played it twice with his thigh, once with his foot, and then shot it into the goal. During this sequence, the ball never touched the ground and he beat at least two defenders on the way.

    Edited to say that he might have headed the ball once in that sequence too.
     
  6. DutchOven

    DutchOven Red Card

    Nov 16, 2004
    06-17-1959 3-5 1 Real Madrid

    If anyone has this game as a .torrent, I will be your servant for a month.
     
  7. tpmazembe

    tpmazembe Member

    Jun 13, 2002
    The Midfield (S.Fla)
    A debt of gratitude for the time you spent compiling this from the book appendix. I have the book and know how daunting a task it is. Did you put the full numbers in spreadsheet (e-mailable?)

    Should the thread be merged with your previous effort Career Stats: PELÉ , for completeness?

    cheers
     
  8. Jaweirdo

    Jaweirdo Member+

    Aug 19, 2011
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    It is said that a large portion of Pele's games with Santos were burned in a fire forever lost, but surely these European clubs have footage of these matches??
     
  9. Bada Bing

    Bada Bing Member+

    Jul 13, 2012
    Finland
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Friendlies mean absolutely nothing. If they won Libertadores once, and one other time when they started from semi-finals, I think they might or might not have won EC once.
     
  10. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    You do NOT have to THINK! FACT said:

    Pele took Santos to demolish Benfica of Eusebio (EC winner 62) and AC Milan or Rivera (EC winner 63) with an UNBROKEN STATS: 7goals+4ass/3games (2 vs Benfica, and 1 vs MIlan)
     
    SaidB94 repped this.
  11. Bada Bing

    Bada Bing Member+

    Jul 13, 2012
    Finland
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Yeah, one or two games in different points of season for both, when you have never even seen the other play, mean absolutely nothing. When they would play in Europe, they would constantly be tested by European teams, and tactics would be quickly be adjusted accordingly.
     
  12. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    NOt it was YOU who never watched Pele played and should NOT have any credential to comment whatsoever.

    For your info (refer to this thread in details) Pele got 1.4 GPG against MOST EUROPEAN clubs (from >7 different leagues) from 59-68 - here we talked of 10years, and over 120games .... (NOT 1 NOR 2 like your BS)
     
  13. Bada Bing

    Bada Bing Member+

    Jul 13, 2012
    Finland
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Stop talking about friendlies, if you want to argue about something,

    Games are completely different when the competitive factor isn't present.
     
  14. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    You should NOT be here . or should you be here to ... "learn" OK?

    Yours (comment) are like some jerk's saying :
    "That guy Pele?, he only scored goals in friendlies., and ... BTW who he was really? I don;t know! "

    Go back to your Messi, I think you do know a few things a bout him :p
     
  15. Bada Bing

    Bada Bing Member+

    Jul 13, 2012
    Finland
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Nicely argued. :rolleyes:
     
  16. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Sorry for my (mean) tone! But your argument is totally off chart!

    Now let me explain the FACT (about your "friendly goals" of Pele)
    Pele was the ONLY player that FIFA had granted the label 1000's goals scored (out of 5 names who did accumulate that number: Sr Freidenrich, Biscan, Muller and Romario) . WHY?

    Firs and foremost, it's NOT because FIFA loved Pele NOR they tried to promote a "black guy" like many "ignorant" claimed around, but there are several reasons:

    1- Those friendly (like Greg did a good sum up) games were happened in a TENSION and PRESSURE ambiance (not like any friendly games now aday) . For most Euro teams at time were so curious to challenge the so called "King" who they did not really buy into! Also, that era (60's) there are NO LAWS to protect attackers and most DF were ready to DETHRONE Pele's label.

    2- At that time, Pele had won WC58 (and 2nd in 62), and a few Paulista (unofficial best team in Brazil) and not every players teams (at time) had chance to watch him or Santos playing! So the Euro teams were ready to DEMOLISH a (no name) club with a so called "best player" from the other half of the Earth! (note that in that era no law of protection for Attacker so DF had all MEANS to disturb/chop down the KID (he was only 17-20)

    3- Beside those scenarios, Pele was PROVEN with his STATS (>1.2GPG which was great and RARE at time ) for whole 10 consecutive years, against any teams (SA or Europe) , in any tournaments (Brazil Euro Copa WC) = meaning regardless friendly or not, PELE will SCORE goals!

    4- LAstly, moving on , Pele won 2 libertadores and "demolished " two best EC winners to win 2 intercontinental cups, and by 70, his STATS presented a 1.4 GPG vs 40+ European teams (from EPL, Liga, Hungary, SerieA, Bundesliga, Hungary, Greece, Austia ....)

    Based of those 4: FIFA ACCEPTED those "extra 200+ goals" (from friendlies) to Pele's 800's official goals = 1000+goals career!
     
  17. tony-soprano37

    Dec 5, 2008
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    England

    can't say that. friendly matches are different.
    in friendly matches defenders whill not try to stop an attacker no matter what.
    in matches that have somethign at stake they will do anything to stop an attacker
     
  18. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    go back and read my earlier post!

    Pele got more or less same GPG in Brazil/copa/WC to that of Euro friedly tour.

    Pele led Santos to win 2 libertaodores + 2 intercontinental cups = equivalent at least 2 UCL (granted he would play for Barca/Real/ManU/Inter ... at that time

    His 7goals+4ass/3 games vs Benfica and Milan (EC/UCL winners) PROVED he would easily won EC and being topscorer there (more than 1 or 2 minimum)
     
  19. Jaweirdo

    Jaweirdo Member+

    Aug 19, 2011
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Disagree, if you watch some of the friendlies the tackles are horrendous
     
    SaidB94, Legolas10 and Caspian repped this.
  20. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Rightly so .. one should know there is NO yellow cards to penalize a bad tackles back then (before 70)
    The pitch was like a battle field without much law so DF had all rights and weapons to shut down an attacker at will! Attackers had ONLY one weapon to beat them :" his talent"

    After the few bad incidence at WC66 ... (Pele got chop off that tourney "deliberately", and got severe injured) He then RETIRED from Brazil NT (FIFA games) to protest that. As the result, FIFA changed the LAW at WC70 and the KING was back to his best there
     
  21. tLB Odiseo

    tLB Odiseo Member

    Necaxa, Galatasaray, Real Madrid
    Dec 18, 2011
    México
    Club:
    NEC
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    Amazing info!!
     
  22. Caspian

    Caspian Member

    Sep 15, 2016
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    JamesBH11's views make a lot of sense.Back then both America and Europe represented two rather markedly different footballing cultures.They had their own playing styles,tactics,there were even differences over which tackle qualified as a foul.
    They had their own set of top teams,great players,legends and so on.Both sides would have been a proud lot of their footballing standards/accomplishments.Hence a game between Pele's Santos and any Euro team would definitely have evoked a lot of curiosity/interest not just amongst the people of either continent but also amongst the players too.The organizers just tapped into this.That's why Euro tours by Santos and other Brazilian club teams including Bota of Garincha happened in the first place.In the event of such a match,friendly or official,there would have been a healthy rivalry/competition between the teams/players.An opportunity to test skills for both sides
    Therefore the backdrop was quite different from what it is now when a friendly happens between two Euro club teams.

    This point leads to a question.If the defence wasn't serious enough to stop the attackers then the same should apply for the attackers too.They too wouldn't be seriously motivated to score.By this logic it would mean that this good showing of Pele against Euro teams was that of a non serious Pele.By extension,it would mean a serious Pele would have done far greater damage.
     
  23. Gray Mouser

    Gray Mouser New Member

    Brescia
    Italy
    Jun 18, 2019
    Here is my short take in all of this.

    Many people cannot, for whatever reason give players from earlier generations their just due. I have often listened to many people say that Pele played against farmers in South America and with the statistical proof here against European clubs the argument against his greatness has to degrade to the opposition never tried.

    Players of beltgone eras are never given credit for their skills or athleticism since it is not possible to some they could ever compete today though these people never take into consideration the rules that change to make the game safer and easier to score.

    Pelé was great no matter what the era. I saw him play when he was old when he played for the Cosmos. He was still great. Give him credit or just leave it alone. Nobody ever wins an argument on the Internet.

    That turned out longer than I suspected.
     
    SaidB94, Lincon18762, Legolas10 and 2 others repped this.
  24. Lincon18762

    Lincon18762 Member

    Jun 26, 2021
    Thank you very much for these stats.
     
    Gregoriak repped this.
  25. Leandro Lopes Aurelio

    Santos FC
    Brazil
    Oct 24, 2021
    London
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    #25 Leandro Lopes Aurelio, Oct 24, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2021
    It's absolutely amazing to see all these stats, that shows how great Pele was. For me he is the greatest of all time for a simple reason: as it's almost impossible to compare players from different Eras and we also don't know how great a player born in the 80's, 90's would be if they played in the 60's, and we also don't know how great Pele would be if he was playing in the 90's, 2000's, I believe the most accurate way to compare players is to analyse how greater they were than other players from the same Era, once all of them played under the same conditions, same rules and so on. And then it's easy to acknowledge that Pele was far greater than all player from his Era than Maradona, Ronaldo, Messi and Cristiano were.

    I also would like to mention that Brazil's teams were amongst the best in world back then, if you check all Brazil National team's players in World Cup 58', World Cup 62' and World Cup 70' you will notice that most of them (if not all of them) played in Brazil, so I can securely state that Brazil had one of the strongest leagues in the World (if not the strongest one) back then
     
    Gregoriak repped this.

Share This Page