# The peak years at Santos (1959–1965)

> With Pelé at his peak, Santos became club champions of South America and of the world, twice each.

Source page: https://pele.wiki/footballer/chapters/the-peak-years-at-santos
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pel%C3%A9

- Began: 7 March 1959
- Ended: 12 July 1966

Between 1959 and 1965 Pelé was at the height of his powers, and Santos built one of the most admired teams in football around him. Its players included Gilmar, Mauro, Zito, Dorval, Mengálvio, Coutinho, Pepe and Pelé, coached by Lula. Brazilians later called the side *Os Santásticos*.

In March 1959 Pelé was the top scorer at the South American Championship in Buenos Aires, with eight goals, and was named its best player. At home, Santos won the Campeonato Paulista in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964 and 1965. From 1961 to 1965 they also won five national championships in a row, then called the Taça Brasil. Pelé was the top scorer in the state league every year from 1957 to 1965.

On 5 March 1961, against Fluminense at the Maracanã, he scored the solo goal that became known as the *gol de placa*. That year, President Jânio Quadros's government declared him an official national treasure, to stop foreign clubs buying him.

The Taça Brasil title took Santos into the Copa Libertadores, South America's club championship. They won it in 1962, beating Peñarol 3–0 in a play-off in Buenos Aires with two goals from Pelé. In the Intercontinental Cup that autumn they beat Benfica 3–2 in Rio and 5–2 in Lisbon. Pelé scored five goals in the two matches, including a hat-trick at the Estádio da Luz.

In 1963 Santos won the Libertadores again, beating Boca Juniors in both legs of the final; Pelé scored the winner in Buenos Aires. They then beat AC Milan in a three-match Intercontinental Cup, though Pelé missed the last two games. In November 1964 he scored eight goals in one league match, an 11–0 win over Botafogo of Ribeirão Preto at Vila Belmiro.

Santos earned large fees by touring the world, playing friendlies in Europe, Africa and Asia because crowds wanted to see Pelé. Those games make up much of his famous goal totals, and explain why counts differ so much. At this time he was, for a period, the highest-paid athlete in the world.

## Related

- What the chapter is about: [South American Championship 1959 (Argentina)](https://pele.wiki/footballer/tournaments/1959-south-american-championship), [Copa Libertadores 1962](https://pele.wiki/footballer/tournaments/1962-copa-libertadores), [Intercontinental Cup 1962](https://pele.wiki/footballer/tournaments/1962-intercontinental-cup), [Copa Libertadores 1963](https://pele.wiki/footballer/tournaments/1963-copa-libertadores), [Intercontinental Cup 1963](https://pele.wiki/footballer/tournaments/1963-intercontinental-cup), [Santos 3–1 Fluminense](https://pele.wiki/footballer/matches/gol-de-placa-match-1961), [Santos 5–2 Benfica](https://pele.wiki/footballer/matches/santos-5-2-benfica-1962), [The gol de placa](https://pele.wiki/footballer/goals/gol-de-placa), [Santos FC](https://pele.wiki/footballer/teams/santos), [Fluminense](https://pele.wiki/footballer/teams/fluminense), [Benfica](https://pele.wiki/footballer/teams/benfica), [Eusébio](https://pele.wiki/footballer/people/eusebio), [Coutinho](https://pele.wiki/footballer/people/coutinho), [Campeonato Paulista top scorer (eleven times)](https://pele.wiki/footballer/honours/campeonato-paulista-top-scorer), [Campeonato Paulista (ten titles)](https://pele.wiki/footballer/honours/campeonato-paulista-titles), [South American Championship best player and top scorer, 1959](https://pele.wiki/footballer/honours/south-american-championship-best-player-1959), [Torneio Rio–São Paulo (four titles)](https://pele.wiki/footballer/honours/torneio-rio-sao-paulo-titles), [Brazilian national championship (six titles)](https://pele.wiki/footballer/honours/brazilian-championship-titles), [Declared an official national treasure, 1961](https://pele.wiki/footballer/honours/national-treasure-1961), [Copa Libertadores, 1962](https://pele.wiki/footballer/honours/copa-libertadores-1962), [Intercontinental Cup, 1962](https://pele.wiki/footballer/honours/intercontinental-cup-1962), [Copa Libertadores, 1963](https://pele.wiki/footballer/honours/copa-libertadores-1963), [Intercontinental Cup, 1963](https://pele.wiki/footballer/honours/intercontinental-cup-1963), [Vila Belmiro (Estádio Urbano Caldeira)](https://pele.wiki/footballer/locations/vila-belmiro), [Maracanã Stadium](https://pele.wiki/footballer/locations/maracana), [Lisbon](https://pele.wiki/footballer/locations/lisbon), [Estádio da Luz (1954)](https://pele.wiki/footballer/locations/estadio-da-luz-1954), [Argentina](https://pele.wiki/footballer/locations/argentina-country)
- The questions it answers: [Did Pelé ever play in Europe?](https://pele.wiki/footballer/questions/did-pele-ever-play-in-europe)