ON THIS DAY

Michael Owen gave England the lead against Brazil in the World Cup quarter-finals in Shizuoka in Japan but goals from Rivaldo and Ronaldinho – a free-kick from over 40 yards which beat David Seaman – saw 10-man Brazil into the semis against Turkey. What might have been! 22 nd June

Pele scored his first World Cup goal on June 19th 1958, against Wales, and a fraction over 12 years later, on 21st June 1970, he scored his last goal in the World Cup. This time the opposition was Italy in the World Cup final at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium in front of a 107,412 crowd. Pele scored the first goal in Brazil’s 4-1 victory. That victory saw Brazil become the first nation to win the World Cup three times with Pele the only player to appear in each of those three finals. The hat-trick of victories saw Brazil allowed to keep the original World Cup – the Jules Rimet trophy – although sadly that was stolen in 1983 and, with no Brazilian equivalent of Pickles the dog, it was never recovered and is believed to have been melted down.