Editing Pelé (section)

==== 1962–1965: Copa Libertadores success ====
{{Quote box|width=30%|align=right|quote="I arrived hoping to stop a great man, but I went away convinced I had been undone by someone who was not born on the same planet as the rest of us."|source=—Benfica goalkeeper [[Costa Pereira]] following the loss to Santos in 1962.<ref name="FIFA quotes">[https://web.archive.org/web/20190627023833/https://www.fifa.com/news/what-they-said-about-pele-1321917 "What they said about Pele"]. FIFA. 16 Jul 2019.</ref>}}
Santos's most successful Copa Libertadores season started in [[1962 Copa Libertadores|1962]];{{sfn|Dunmore|2015|p=290}} the team was seeded in Group One alongside [[Cerro Porteño]] and Deportivo Municipal Bolivia, winning every match of their group but one (a 1–1 away tie versus Cerro). Santos defeated Universidad Católica in the semi-finals and met [[1961 Copa Libertadores|defending champions]] [[C.A. Peñarol|Peñarol]] in the finals. Pelé scored twice in the playoff match to secure the first title for a Brazilian club.<ref name="copa62">{{cite web|last1=Pierrend|first1=José Luis|last2=Beuker|first2=John|last3=Ciullini|first3=Pablo|last4=Gorgazzi|first4=Osvaldo|url=https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/copa62.html|title=Copa Libertadores de América 1962|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=29 January 2016|archive-date=27 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027180000/https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/copa62.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Pelé finished as the second top scorer of the competition with four goals. That same year, Santos would successfully defend the Campeonato Paulista (with 37 goals from Pelé) and the Taça Brasil (Pelé scoring four goals in the final series against Botafogo). Santos would also win the [[1962 Intercontinental Cup]] against [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]].<ref name="Intercontinental">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120506041330/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/matchreport/newsid%3D512321.html "Intercontinental Cups 1962 and 1963"]. FIFA. 15 January 2015</ref> Wearing his [[Squad number (association football)|number 10 shirt]], Pelé produced one of the best performances of his career, scoring a [[hat-trick]] in Lisbon as Santos won 5–2.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=1782903.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114145154/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=1782903.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 November 2012|title=Extraordinary Pele crowns Santos in Lisbon|publisher=FIFA|date=11 October 2012|access-date=22 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Vickery|first1=Tim|title=Will South Africa 2010 produce a new Pele?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/timvickery/2009/11/pele.html|access-date=5 May 2011|work=BBC Sport|date=23 December 2009|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108113259/https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/timvickery/2009/11/pele.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Pele Netherlands 1962 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Pelé with Santos in the Netherlands, October 1962]]
Pelé states that his most memorable goal was scored at the [[Estádio Rua Javari]] on a Campeonato Paulista match against São Paulo rival [[Clube Atlético Juventus]] on 2 August 1959. As there is no video footage of this match, Pelé asked that a computer animation be made of this specific goal.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pele receives tribute for 1959 goal|url=https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20060831/sport/pele-receives-tribute-for-1959-goal.42828|access-date=16 July 2017|work=The Times|location=Malta|date=31 August 2006|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108080910/https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/the-dghajsa-under-threat.4282|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 1961, Pelé scored the ''gol de placa'' (goal worthy of a plaque), against [[Fluminense Football Club|Fluminense]] at the Maracanã.<ref name="placa"/> Pelé received the ball on the edge of his own penalty area, and ran the length of the field, eluding opposition players with [[Dummy (football)#Association football|feints]], before striking the ball beyond the goalkeeper.<ref name="placa">{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/news/y=2011/m=3/news=remembering-pele-gol-placa-1392726.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913225947/http://www.fifa.com/news/y=2011/m=3/news=remembering-pele-gol-placa-1392726.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 September 2015|title=Remembering Pele's gol de placa|publisher=FIFA|access-date=10 May 2011}}</ref> A plaque was commissioned with a dedication to "the most beautiful goal in the history of the Maracanã".{{sfn|Bellos|2003|p=244}}

[[File:PELÉ - 1963 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Pelé before facing [[Boca Juniors]] in the second leg of the [[1963 Copa Libertadores Finals]] at [[La Bombonera]]]]

As the defending champions, Santos qualified automatically to the semi-final stage of the [[1963 Copa Libertadores]]. The ''balé branco'' (white ballet), the nickname given to Santos at the time, managed to retain the title after victories over [[Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas|Botafogo]] and [[Boca Juniors]]. Pelé helped Santos overcome a Botafogo team that featured Brazilian greats such as [[Garrincha]] and [[Jairzinho]] with a last-minute goal in the first leg of the semi-finals which made it 1–1. In the second leg, Pelé scored a hat-trick in the [[Estádio do Maracanã]] as Santos won, 0–4, in the second leg. Santos started the final series by winning, 3–2, in the first leg and defeating Boca Juniors 1–2, in [[Estadio Alberto J. Armando|La Bombonera]]. It was a rare feat in official competitions, with another goal from Pelé.<ref name="1963 Copa">{{cite web|title=1963: With an amazing Pele, Brazil's Santos wins their second Copa Libertadores Tournament|url=http://www.conmebol.com/en/09102015-1742/1963-amazing-pele-brazils-santos-wins-their-second-copa-libertadores-tournament|publisher=CONMEBOL|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106171452/http://www.conmebol.com/en/09102015-1742/1963-amazing-pele-brazils-santos-wins-their-second-copa-libertadores-tournament|archive-date=6 November 2018|access-date=17 January 2019|date=12 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Santos became the first Brazilian team to lift the Copa Libertadores in Argentine soil. Pelé finished the tournament with five goals. Santos lost the Campeonato Paulista after finishing in third place but went on to win the Rio-São Paulo tournament after a 0–3 win over [[Clube de Regatas do Flamengo|Flamengo]] in the final, with Pelé scoring one goal. Pelé would also help Santos retain the Intercontinental Cup and the Taça Brasil against [[A.C. Milan|AC Milan]] and Bahia respectively.<ref name="Intercontinental" />

In the [[1964 Copa Libertadores]], Santos was beaten in both legs of the semi-finals by [[Club Atlético Independiente|Independiente]]. The club won the Campeonato Paulista, with Pelé netting 34 goals. Santos also shared the Rio-São Paulo title with Botafogo and won the Taça Brasil for the fourth consecutive year. In the [[1965 Copa Libertadores]], Santos reached the semi-finals and met Peñarol in a rematch of the 1962 final. After two matches, a playoff was needed to break the tie.<ref name="Red21">{{cite web|last1=Bassorelli|first1=Gerardo|title=En los años sesenta, Peñarol y Santos protagonizaron inolvidables batallas por la Libertadores, generando una rivalidad que transformó a este duelo en el primer clásico que tuvo la Copa.|url=https://www.lr21.com/deportes/457144-en-los-anos-sesenta-penarol-y-santos-protagonizaron-inolvidables-batallas-por-la-libertadores-generando-una-rivalidad-que-transformo-a-este-duelo-en-el-primer-clasico-que-tuvo-la-copa|publisher=LaRed21|access-date=30 July 2017|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108080905/https://www.lr21.com/deportes/457144-en-los-anos-sesenta-penarol-y-santos-protagonizaron-inolvidables-batallas-por-la-libertadores-generando-una-rivalidad-que-transformo-a-este-duelo-en-el-primer-clasico-que-tuvo-la-copa|url-status=dead}}</ref> Unlike 1962, Peñarol came out on top and eliminated Santos 2–1.<ref name="Red21"/> Pelé would, however, finish as the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Andrés|first1=Juan Pablo |last2=Ballesteros |first2=Frank |last3=Di Maggio|first3=Robert|title=Copa Libertadores – Topscorers|url=https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/copalibtops.html|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031101245/http://www.rsssf.com/sacups/copalibtops.html|archive-date=31 October 2015}}</ref>