The 1966 tournament was, despite England’s triumph, far from the best, being remembered for its excessive physical play, and Pelé was one of the players most affected. After becoming the first player ever to score in three World Cups, with a direct free kick against Bulgaria, he had to rest, due to being knackered, for the match against Hungary, in which Brazil took a 1–3 hammering.
He then faced Portugal, and several impressively violent tackles by the Portuguese defenders caused him to leave the match and the tournament. Brazil lost that match and were eliminated in the first round of the World Cup for the first time since 1934. After the tournament, Pelé was so gutted by the kicking he’d taken that he declared that he did not wish to play in the World Cup again. I seem to recall he later changed his mind.
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