The two Brazilian players who failed the psychological assessment for the 1958 World Cup were Garrincha and Pelé. During the preparation for the World Cup in Sweden, the Brazilian Sports Confederation (CBD) hired a multidisciplinary team to evaluate the players, including psychologists. The objective of the latter was to measure the “mental profile” of the athletes and understand whether they would be able to withstand the pressure of an international tournament. Pelé, then just 17 years old, was considered emotionally "immature" and Garrincha classified as "intellectually limited" and "not fully aware of the game's tactics", according to the interpretations of the team led by João Carvalhaes, one of the pioneers of sports psychology in Brazil. Despite the negative opinions, both were included in the delegation after insistence from coach Vicente Feola and other members of the technical team, who trusted in the talent and performance on the field of the two players. Pelé and Garrincha shone and helped Brazil win its first world title in 1958, proving that psychological tests do not always capture an athlete's true potential. Article originally published in July 2025