SAO PAULO: The revered Brazil striker Pele scored his 1,000th goal on November 19, 1969 at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium in a match between his beloved Santos and local outfit Vasco de Gama, whose vast ranks of fans gave the iconic No. 10 a standing ovation.

That goal half a century ago was a beautifully converted penalty which escaped the grasp of the Vasco goalkeeper, sparking a pitch invasion by the press and culminating in Pele being paraded shoulder-high around the historic stadium by his teammates.