Brazil legend Pele has revealed that he was given the No.10 shirt by accident ahead of the 1958 World Cup, before going on to become one of the most successful players in the history of football.
Pele arrived at the showpiece event 54 years ago in Sweden as a 17-year-old and despite the No.10 shirt usually being awarded to the team's playmaker, the former striker has explained why he became the beneficiary of the famous jersey.
"The No.10 jersey was given to me at a World Cup match in 1958," he said. "Nobody was that important to wear the No.10 and even though I was not the oldest player in the squad, it coincidentally dropped to me to wear at the World Cup," he told SporTV News.
Despite the fabled shirt number falling to Pele by coincidence, the 71-year-old revealed he sometimes thinks about how such events naturally happened during his career.
"It's funny you know, there's some things I ask God when I pray before I go to sleep, wondering why so many things happened to Pele that I can't explain," he added.
Pele scored 77 official goals for Brazil in 92 appearances in an international career spanning over 14 years.
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