Pelé scored a hat-trick against Benfica in the 1962 Intercontinental Cup, completing Santos’s 5–2 victory in the second leg in Lisbon. The result secured Santos’s first Intercontinental Cup title over the reigning European champions.
The first match had been played at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium, where Santos won 3–2. Pelé scored twice in that game, while Coutinho added the other Santos goal. Because the competition then used a two-match format based on points rather than aggregate goal difference, a decisive third match could have been required.
Instead, Santos produced a spectacular performance at Benfica’s Estádio da Luz on 11 October 1962. Pelé scored three times, Coutinho scored once and Pepe completed the Brazilian side’s tally. Benfica, featuring star forward Eusébio, scored twice, but Santos’s attacking display settled the tie in two games.
The common mistake is remembering only Pelé’s two goals in the opening match. His hat-trick came in the Lisbon return, where his three goals were part of the 5–2 win.