1958 FIFA World Cup, Sweden
The World Cup in 1958 was held as far north as possible, in Sweden. Surely the trophy would safely remain in European hands? The South Americans were notoriously bad travelers, and were unlikely to win a major tournament with 17-year-olds like Pele.
There again, there are no 17-year-olds "like Pele". An all-star cast with the likes of Garrincha, Didi and Vava, Brazil were unstoppable en route to their final meeting with the host nation (although England managed to hold them to a 0-0 draw in the group stages).
The final itself was a footballing masterclass. Although Sweden themselves had quality players such as left-winger Lennart Skoglund, the exciting 4-2-4 formation that the Brazilians had brought to Scandinavia helped then win out 5-2. Pele had made his name, and it was a name that would dominate the World Cup for a dozen more years.
Sweden's Odds To Win 2006 Soccer World Cup