JSA Authenticates 1962 World Cup Final Match Ticket Signed by Soccer Legend Pelé

As North America prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, sports fans will turn their attention to the most important international soccer tournament in the world. Once every four years, qualifying countries from across the globe come together to vie for the famous golden FIFA World Cup Trophy, with hopes of adding their country to the history books.

Through the years, iconic performances at the tournament have elevated certain stars to legends of the game. Franz Beckenbauer, Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and many more solidified their status among the game's elite with their heroics on the biggest international stage in soccer. However, arguably no player is more well-known and revered for his appearances in the World Cup than legendary Brazilian forward Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé.

JSA®, the world leader in autograph authentication, has an enormous database of signatures, including many from high-value historic collectibles. One collector submitted a unique and extremely rare collectible that had ties to the 1962 World Cup, which was hosted in Chile that year. Just four years earlier, Brazil won its first-ever World Cup, defeating Sweden 5-2 in the final behind a standout performance from a young Pelé, who was only 17 years old at the time.

Heading into the 1962 World Cup in Chile, the defending champions were a heavy favorite behind a stacked team of stars like Garrincha, Zagallo, Amarildo, and Pelé. Although Brazil would become only the second team to ever win back-to-back World Cup titles, they would do so without their star forward for much of the tournament.

Despite Pelé being widely celebrated for Brazil's 1962 World Cup victory, a devastating thigh injury restricted his entire tournament play to just 143 total minutes. He made those minutes unforgettable in the opening match against Mexico, achieving a 100% goal-involvement rate by assisting the first goal and then scoring a mind-boggling solo effort after dribbling past four defenders. Because his teammates successfully defended the title in his absence, the 21-year-old Pelé became — and still remains — the youngest player in history to win two World Cup trophies.

The collectible above is a small piece of that historic World Cup final, which took place on June 17, 1962, at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile. Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia 3–1 to win their second consecutive World Cup title, solidifying Brazil as an international soccer powerhouse for decades to come.

The World Cup Final match ticket appears to be a redeemed perforated paper ticket, which was likely ripped in half upon entry. Although not much is known about how or where the collector obtained Pelé's autograph, JSA's expert signature analysis combined with their extensive database of autographs helped deem Pelé's autograph to be authentic, making this a valuable and iconic signed collectible from his legendary career.

The Brazilian is universally known as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, with many considering him to be the best to ever play the game. The forward and attacking midfielder helped popularize soccer across the world, as he became a household name and the first global soccer star. Throughout his pro career, Pelé almost scored an average of one goal per game he played in. He is still the only player in history to have won three World Cup trophies (1958, 1962, 1970) and is revered as soccer royalty.

About JSA

JSA was founded in 2005 by James Spence, Jr. and is recognized worldwide as the leader in autograph authentication across sports and entertainment collectibles. Over the past two decades, JSA has certified millions of autographs and built one of the largest autograph exemplar databases in the world, encompassing more than one million reference images. JSA combines deep expertise with proprietary research tools and advanced analysis to maintain exceptional accuracy in autograph authentication.