FIFA World Cup 1958 was the sixth edition of the world's most prestigious international football tournament, played between June 8 and June 29, 1958 in Sweden. It was the first World Cup to be held in Nordic Country and featured 16 teams. The competition was won by Brazil, who beat hosts Sweden 5-2 in the Final.
The hosts (Sweden) and the defending champions (West Germany) qualified automatically. Of the remaining 14 places, nine were allocated to Europe, three to South America, one to North/Central America, and one to Asia/Africa. Aside from the main European zone matches. Wales, which finished second in its group behind Czechoslovakia, was drawn into a play-off with Israel after Israel won its group by default because its three opponents, Turkey, Indonesia and Sudan, refused to play. FIFA had imposed a rule that no team would qualify without playing at least one match, something that had happened in several previous World Cups. Wales won the play-off and qualified for the first time. With Northern Ireland making its debut, and England and Scotland also qualifying, this World Cup was the only one to date to feature all four of the United Kingdom's Home Nations.
FIFA World Cup 1958 began with a group stage, where teams were divided into four groups of four. The group winners and runners-up advanced to the quarter-finals, with the winners of those matches progressing to the semi-finals. Brazil and Sweden progressed to the Final, with Brazil emerging victorious in a thrilling 5-2 win.
The tournament was notable for a number of firsts. It was the first time the modern 4-2-4 formation was used, with Brazil's midfield consisting of Didi, Nílton Santos, Zito, and Pelé. Meanwhile, Just Fontaine set a World Cup record by scoring 13 goals in a single tournament – a feat that has still never been matched.
More than 45,000 people crowded into Stockholm's Rasunda Stadium to watch the Final between Brazil and Sweden and, despite being the underdogs, Brazil went into the game as favorites. After a nervy opening 20 minutes, Brazil began to dominate and took the lead through a Vavá header. Sweden pulled a goal back through Agne Simonsson, but Brazil restored their two-goal advantage through Pelé and Vavá again. Mário Zagallo then scored a fourth, before Pelé rounded off the scoring with a fifth late on.
The victory was Brazil's first World Cup success, and the team would go on to become one of the most successful international sides in history. The 1958 World Cup is remembered for being the tournament that sparked the legend of the great Brazilian team of the 60s and 70s, and for the incredible array of talent that competed for the trophy.