Gordon Banks save from Pele: The story of the greatest stop in football history

Gordon Banks‘ status as England’s greatest goalkeeper may have been secured at the 1966 World Cup but it was a spectacular save to deny Pele in Mexico four years later that he will be best remembered for.

During the group stage match in Guadalajara, Carlos Alberto sent Jairzinho flying down the right flank with a perfectly weighted through-ball.

Read more: Gordon Banks, England’s World Cup winning goalkeeper, has died at 81

After skipping around the challenge of Terry Cooper, Jairzinho swung the ball in to the back post towards the deadly Pele.

The Brazil No 10 drove his header towards the bottom corner of the goal and Banks, flinging himself to his right, in a feat which seemed to defy the laws of physics, somehow managed with one hand not only to keep Pele’s powerful downward header out, but also flick the ball over the bar.

The moment enhanced yet further the reputation of a man who, as an ever present in the triumphant 1966 campaign, made it through to the closing stages of the semi-final before conceding a goal – and even then was only beaten by a penalty from Portugal’s Eusebio.

Stoke City statement

It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight.

We are devastated to lose him but we have so many happy memories and could not have been more proud of him.

We would ask that the privacy of the family is respected at this time.

Despite ultimate victory in 1966, it was the 1970 World Cup which emphasised Banks’ worth to England. As well as the miraculous save in Guadalajara, England lost their quarter-final to West Germany 3-2, with Banks absent due to illness. Conspiracy theories abounded that Banks had been poisoned to take him out of the match, but there was no evidence to support them and the man himself gave them no credence.