The Museu Pelé in Santos has added four World Cup-related artifacts to its permanent collection, including three commemorative plaques marking Brazil’s victories at the 1958, 1962, and 1970 tournaments and a 1962 match shirt worn by midfielder Zito that Pelé later autographed.
The items were ceded by the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) under a cooperation agreement between the federation and the City of Santos, representing a direct transfer from Brazil’s football federation archive to the museum’s collection. Local and regional coverage of the acquisition was published on 28 and 29 August 2026.
What the CBF Transferred?
The three commemorative plaques correspond to each of the World Cup tournaments in which Pelé was central to the Brazil squad — Sweden in 1958, Chile in 1962, and Mexico in 1970. They form the core of a display framing his career with the national team across three separate championship cycles.
The fourth item is a match shirt from the 1962 World Cup originally worn by Zito, a midfielder who played for both Santos FC and the Brazilian national team. The shirt was later signed by Pelé, connecting a teammate’s match-worn garment directly to him.
The items are described in available reporting as ceded to the museum rather than formally donated, meaning their precise legal status — permanent transfer or long-term loan — has not been confirmed. The Prefeitura de Santos coordinated receipt of the pieces and their integration into the museum’s exhibitions.
You may also Like
Separate additions noted in local coverage — including a match ball, a ticket from Brazil versus Mexico at the 1962 World Cup, and historic shirts from the USSR and Argentina — appear to be part of a broader refresh of the museum’s World Cup-themed material, though these are not confirmed as part of the same CBF transfer.
The Agreement Behind the Acquisition
On 18 June 2026, the City of Santos and the CBF formalized an institutional cooperation agreement explicitly covering the transfer of items from the CBF’s historical archive to the Museu Pelé. The arrangement is non-financial, focused on cultural exchange, exhibition content, and tourism promotion rather than direct payments.
The framework keeps open ongoing channels for additional pieces from the CBF archive to reach the museum. Both parties framed the partnership as an effort to preserve and promote Pelé’s image, with the Museu Pelé as the primary venue for that work.
The Prefeitura de Santos administers the museum, meaning the acquisition sits within a public cultural initiative rather than a private transaction. The city has positioned the partnership with the CBF as one of several steps to deepen the museum’s holdings related to the national team and its World Cup history.
Where the Artifacts Fit in the Museum’s Collection
The Museu Pelé already held a substantial collection of trophies, uniforms, and photographs tied to Pelé’s club and international career. The four new pieces specifically extend its coverage of the three World Cup tournaments he won with Brazil between 1958 and 1970.
The current acquisition is part of a sustained effort to build out that section of the collection. In October 2025, the museum received previously unpublished photographs of Pelé at the 1962 World Cup, donated by Chilean journalist and producer Rubén Molina, who had access to the archive of photographer Juan Eliodoro Luca Valenzuela. That donation, alongside the CBF transfer, points to an ongoing acquisition strategy focused on the World Cup years rather than isolated additions.
The museum is located in the Valongo district of Santos at Largo Marquês de Monte Alegre, 1, and is free to visit Tuesday through Sunday, with hours running approximately 10:00 to 17:30. Its administration by the city government has made it dependent on partnerships and public funding to sustain and expand its holdings, which gives agreements like the one with the CBF added practical significance.
Also connected to the partnership is the “Bonde da Copa,” a guided tour launched in mid-2026 that routes visitors through World Cup history along the Santos waterfront and concludes at the Museu Pelé. The tour and the new artifacts form part of an integrated effort by Santos and the CBF to establish the city as a dedicated destination for fans of Brazilian football history and Pelé’s legacy.
