The first Libertadores triumph

On August 30, 1962, Santos achieved the first of its kind in its history by winning the Copa Libertadores de América for the first time. The Brazilian club defeated Peñarol 3-0 at the Estadio Monumental de Núñez in Buenos Aires, marking the first time a Brazilian club had claimed the continent's main competition. The path to the final was not without challenges, as Santos triumphed in both matches against Deportivo Municipal of Bolivia and Cerro Porteño of Paraguay, which they won by a historic 9-1.

They then faced Universidad Católica of Chile in the semifinals, coming out on top through a goal by Zito. The defending champions, Peñarol, entered the semifinals directly and completed the journey to the final against Santos. The decisive match took place in Montevideo, with Santos emerging victorious in a tightly contested 3-3 draw, thanks to a third goal scored by Pagão, resulting in a 3-3 tie.

The match report submitted the next day by referee Carlos Robles suggested otherwise, stating that the game was halted early due to disturbances and featuring a pitch invasion by fans. Santos' 3-0 victory in the third match solidified their title. Santos fielded its full lineup, the legendary "Dream Team", with Pelé making a remarkable return from injury, securing the title and cementing 1962 as a golden year in the club's history.