Match · 19 November 1969 · Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa
Santos 2–1 Vasco da Gama
The match at the Maracanã in which Pelé scored the penalty counted as his 1,000th goal.
By November 1969 all of Brazil was waiting for Pelé's 1,000th goal, by the count kept at the time, which included friendlies. Santos played Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã on 19 November in the national championship, then called the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa.
Late in the second half, with the score 1–1, Santos were given a penalty. Pelé took it and beat the Argentine goalkeeper Edgardo Andrada, who got a hand to the ball. Fans ran onto the pitch, and the game was held up while he was carried around.
Santos won 2–1. Reported crowd figures vary widely, from about 65,000 to 80,000, and the minute of the goal is also given differently.
The goal became known as O Milésimo, "the thousandth". Pelé dedicated it to the children of Brazil, and the post office issued a commemorative stamp. Since the count included friendlies, the milestone is part of the long debate about how many goals he really scored.
The stadium
His side
The opponents
People who played a part in it
His famous goals in it
The chapters it appears in
Questions this answers
When did Pelé score his 1,000th goal?
Pelé scored his 1,000th goal, by the count of the time, on 19 November 1969, from a penalty for Santos against Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã. The count included friendlies and exhibition matches; counting only official games, he had far fewer at that date.