Pelé and FC Bayern: A dream transfer that never became a reality!

Pelé and FC Bayern: A dream transfer that never became a reality!

What an exciting time for FC Bayern Munich is! Today, June 28, 2025, the team will meet Flamengo in the round of 16 of the club world championship in the USA, one of the most famous Brazilian clubs. The team of coach Thomas Tuchel is faced with an important challenge that is also a connection to the past: This is the second significant encounter between FC Bayern with a Brazilian club after winning in a world cup game against Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte in 1976.

The story between FC Bayern and Brazil is rich and multifaceted. So Brazilian clubs like Atlético Mineiro and Palmeiras only managed in the semi-finals of the Mini Club World Championship in 2013 and 2020, whereas Bayern were able to celebrate clear successes. The first Brazilian players who found their way to Munich were Bernardo and Mazinho in the 90s, with Bernardo in particular in the history books of the Bundesliga as one of the weakest players in Bavaria history.

Pelé and the Bavaria: A thought that was never reality

A particularly interesting chapter in the connection between the two countries is the hypothesis that Brazilian football legend Pelé could once have played for FC Bayern. According to absolutefussball.com, Pelé 1966 received a specific offer from the then President Roland Endler who wanted to bring the king of football to Munich. But Pelé felt comfortable in his homeland in Brazil and instead switched to Cosmos New York. Interestingly, Pelé was not only an excellent footballer, but also a close friend of Endler, and both became honorary citizens of Santos.

known in the same train is also impressive performance during his career: from 1956 to 1974 he played for Santos for 18 years and scored an incredible 567 goals in 583 competitive games. He is often seen as one of the greatest footballers of all time, especially after his three world championship titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Pelé was also viewed critically in recent years, said Paulo Cesar Lima, a teammate from the past that Pelé had often acted too submissively.

The Brazilian football history and its icons

in football, Brazil is considered the land of the record world champions, with a total of five titles - the last one was won in 2002. The nation has produced a variety of football icons, and among them Pelé is certainly the best known. On a list of the best Brazilian players of all time, Pelé is often brought first, followed by other legends such as Ronaldo, Zico and Rivaldo.

The love of the Brazilians for Pelé is complex. Pelé was always present in the social upper class as an unsalable national sanctuary by President Janio Quadros. Contrary to this enormous popularity, he was often controversial in terms of the political situation in Brazil. Pelé remained a sought -after advertising medium until the end of his career and compared himself to artists like Beethoven.

With a lot of spectacle, we are now facing today's game. Another chapter in football history is opened while FC Bayern competes against Flamengo. And although Pelé may never have played in Munich, his legend remains imperishable, in the hearts of many fans all over the world.

Stay tuned for further exciting developments from the world of football!