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The Psychologist Who Told Brazil to Bench Pelé (1958)

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THE LOWDOWN — THE FULL HISTORY

THE TEST

Before Brazil left for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, every player sat a psychological test set by the team psychologist, João Carvalhaes.

THE VERDICT

He told the coach to leave two men out. The first, the report said, was "obviously infantile", lacking the fighting spirit a World Cup demands: a 17-year-old named Pelé. The second, Garrincha, failed almost every test he was given.

THE REPLY

Coach Vicente Feola's reported answer became legend: "You may be right. But you know nothing about football." Both played. Pelé scored six, two in the final, and Brazil won their first World Cup.

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