The Greatest Signing Never Made: Why Pelé rejected Bayern Munich in 1959
In 1959, a broke and struggling Bayern Munich tried to sign 18-year-old Pelé.
And for a moment, they almost pulled off the signing of the century. Bayern didn’t just send an email.
They made him spend his entire summer holiday in Bavaria just to recruit him. For decades, Germans thought it was a myth.
Then pele confirmed it himself.
He admitted Bayern’s offer was the most serious and well structured offer. He was interested. Bayern had the papers ready. Deal almost sealed.
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So what stopped the transfer?
Extreme homesickness. He missed Santos and flew back. Shortly after, Brazil declared him a “national treasure” and blocked him from leaving Santos ever again.
The closest Europe ever came to watching Pelé every week was a broke Bayern Munich in 1959.
Pelé is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history and was among the most successful and influential sports figures of the 20th century.
He scored an astonishing 1,279 goals in 1,363 matches, including friendlies—a feat recognised by Guinness World Records. In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named him Athlete of the Century, while Time magazine included him among the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
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In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). He was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century, alongside Diego Maradona.
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