How it unfolded
In the 18th minute, Pelé rose above Italian defender Tarcisio Burgnich to head in a cross from the left by Rivelino. Italy equalised in the 37th minute, Roberto Boninsegna pouncing on a Brazilian defensive mistake, having reached the final off a 4-3 extra-time semi-final win over West Germany that produced five goals on its own. Brazil went ahead again in the 66th minute through a left-footed strike from distance by Gérson, and five minutes later Jairzinho converted a Gérson free kick that Pelé had headed down, becoming the only player to score in every match of the tournament. The final goal came four minutes from time. Clodoaldo beat four defenders in his own half before feeding Rivelino on the left, who found Jairzinho; Pelé, without even looking right, rolled the ball into the path of the onrushing captain Carlos Alberto, whose right-footed shot beat the inside of the far post in front of 107,412 fans. A third World Cup win meant Brazil kept the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently.
Why it still matters
This team remains the finished version of the attacking Brazilian football that began with the 4-2-4, and Carlos Alberto's fourth goal is still cited as the textbook case of team play. The tournament was also decisive as the first broadcast worldwide by colour satellite — the first time viewers in Europe and South America watched the same goals on the same screen — and it marked the point from which the World Cup was rebuilt as a television event.