WATCH: When Pele visited "football capital of India" Kolkata to play against Mohun Bagan FC

Eden Gardens in Kolkata has been widely known for hosting cricket matches. Cricket fans storm the stadium to see all those sixes and fours every time a match is held here. But, on September 24, 1977, the stadium was filled for a different reason - a football match. Rather than a football match, fans were eager to see one player in action. That player was none other than Brazilian legend Pele, who is regarded as one of the football icons.

 

 

 

His visit in 1977 is considered a significant event because when we look back at it 80,000 spectators had shown up at Eden Gardens with lakhs of fans lined up the road from Kolkata's Dum Dum to his hotel and then from his hotel to the Eden Gardens. According to football historian Novy Kapadia, "Lakhs of people gathered outside the Dum Dum Airport to greet the Brazilian legend. There were also teeming crowds outside his hotel in central Kolkata, waiting to catch a glimpse of the only man who had won three World Cups for his team."

 

Pele had visited Kolkata because he and his team New York Cosmos side, which also had Brazilian World Cup winner Carlos Alberto and Italian Giorgio Chinaglia, were to play against the iconic Mohun Bagan club on that day. The match resulted in the visitors equalising with the hosts as the match ended in a 2-2 draw.

 

 

The match is etched in the memory of players such as former India captain Subrata Bhattacharya, Pradeep Chowdhury, P.K. Bannerji, Surajit Sengupta and Mohammed Habib. Bannerji and Chowdhury were tasked with marking the legend and they did a fine job. Habib had a great match and Pele later had a chat with the India striker and praised him for his performance.

 

 

According to another account, the Mohun Bagan players were so mesmerised by Pele's presence on the ground that they abandoned their warm-up routine and just stood there to watch the Brazilian get ready for the match.

 

It was Pele's penultimate match of his career. He stayed only a day in Kolkata and played his final match a week later. Years later, in 2015, the Brazilian great was once again back in India, but this time as a chief guest at the Subroto Cup, a national-level inter-school competition.

 

His most recent visit was in 2018 during the Leadership Summit of India’s national newspaper, the Hindustan Times. Pele was interviewed by India’s best-known football face, Bhaichung Bhutia. During that visit, the 75-year-old stayed in India for a week and visited Kolkata again, interacting with young players and administrators during his stay in the country.

 

Pele might have passed away but he stints as a football player inspired and will inspire several younsters.