England's first match of a four-game summer tour was a minor test against the new world champions in front of 185,000 screaming fans in the Maracana Stadium in Rio. Bobby Charlton and Johnny Haynes rapped shots against the post after England had gone 2-0 down to early goals against a Brazilian team that featured both Didi and Pele in a rare appearance together. Blackpool's Jimmy Armfield was given a chasing he will not forget by Julinho in what was a baptism of fire for the Blackpool defender. He was called in to partner Don Howe in an out-of-club position at left-back. Norman Deeley, small, direct Wolves winger, was the fifth player to wear the number seven shirt since the departure of the one and only Tom Finney. Goalkeeper Eddie Hopkinson saved two certain goals from Pele, but could do nothing to stop a thunderbolt from Julinho, who had been picked in preference to the great Garrincha. As Eddie Hopkinson lay on the ground after being beaten all ends up by Julinho's shot, a posse of Brazilian radio commentators rushed on to the pitch to try to interview him. It is  just as well that they could not translate his direct comments delivered in Lancastrian tones! England were well and truly beaten by the world champions and did well to keep their score down to just two goals. Didi and Pele together was just about the most potent combination that any team in the world could put together. Ronnie Clayton clattered into Pele with a tackle that led to the king being carried off on a stretcher for treatment. He soon came back, but for the rest of the game Clayton's life was made hell by the Brazilians fans who would not forgive him for hurting their idol. Shortly before he was carried off Pele missed a sitter right in front of an open goal. He was human, after all.

Source Notes

TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Norman Giller, Football Author
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CG