 Santos were at the time the top team in São Paulo, having just won two consecutive State champions when Pelé joined.Aged 15, Pelé made his debut for Santos on 7 September 1956, scoring one goal in a 7–1 friendly victory over Corinthians de Santo André.When the 1957 season started, Pelé was given a starting place in the first team and, at the age of just 16, became the top scorer in the league.