Brazil claimed back-to-back World Cup titles by beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final, with stars like Garrincha and Amarildo stepping up after an injury sidelined Pelé for most of the tournament. The win confirmed Brazil's emergence as the dominant force in world football during the era.
Pelé, still only 21 but already a global sensation after the 1958 title, tore a muscle early in the 1962 tournament and missed most of the knockout stage. Brazil's coach Aymoré Moreira turned to Garrincha, a winger with a limp from childhood polio and a genius for improvisation, who carried the team through the quarterfinals and semifinals with mesmerizing dribbling.
In the final against Czechoslovakia in Santiago's Estádio Nacional, Brazil fell behind early to a goal by Josef Masopust, but quickly equalized through Amarildo, Pelé's replacement, who scored twice across the match. Zito added a third late, sealing a 3-1 victory.
The triumph confirmed that Brazilian football's brilliance wasn't a one-man show built around Pelé alone; it possessed a deep well of improvisational talent capable of carrying the team through adversity. Garrincha, despite being sent off in the semifinal, was later reinstated by tournament officials swayed by public outcry, and he finished the tournament as its most talked-about player.
Key people: Garrincha, Amarildo, Zito