Welcome to a new series of articles from Last Word on Football. During the coming days and weeks, we will be looking back at some of the historical moments in football and asking “What if?” Today, we ask what if Pelé joined Bayern Munich in his late teens.
What If Pelé Joined Bayern Munich in 1959
Pelé to Bayern
Pelé, to date the only player to win three World Cups and named the best player of the 20th century, was a folk hero in his native Brazil and particularly Santos, the club in which he played from 1956 to 1975. He only left them at the tail end of his career, to join the New York Cosmos in the North American NASL.
Read More: What if Pelé Had Played in Europe?
Despite never making the transfer to play there, the man born with the name Édson Arantes do Nascimento was much sought after in Europe during his prime, including by Bayern Munich.
What Really Happened
As noted above, Pelé played for and stayed with Santos throughout the team’s golden years, as they won six Brazilian championships, two Copa Libertadores titles, and two Intercontinental Cups.
It Could Have Been So Different
It could have gone so differently – had Pelé joined Bayern in his late teens.
In 2012, long after he had ended his playing career, the Brazilian went on a football talk show on the German subscription channel “Sky”, and confirmed that while he had offers from clubs in Milan and Madrid, the most concrete proposal came from the Bavarians.
Read More: What If Jürgen Klopp Became Bayern Munich Coach in 2008
In fact, the Bayern front office, led by club president Roland Endler were quite eager to get the then-young World Cup winner to Munich. They even arranged for him to spend the 1959 summer break in Bavaria, so he could decide to join the club, but he quickly became homesick, optinh to stay in Brazil in the end.
What If Pelé Joined Bayern Munich
in the late 1950s and early 60s, the Bundesliga hadn’t been founded yet. Bayern were instead part of a complex system of regional leagues, the best teams of each of those, would then compete for the national title at the end of each season.
When the league began in 1963, Bayern were controversially denied entry in favour of local rivals 1860 Munich. But had Pelé signed for them and stayed a few seasons, he may have played with the likes of Sepp Maier, Gerd Müller, and his later Cosmos teammate Franz Beckenbauer. What an incredible side that would have been!
