Sylvester Stallone says 'Pelé broke my finger' while making Escape to Victory
Sylvester Stallone and Pelé starred in the 1981 sports-war film Escape to Victory.
Pelé broke Sylvester Stallone's finger when they made Escape to Victory.
The pair played Corporal Luis Fernandez and Captain Robert Hatch, respectively, in the 1981 sports-war film, which saw an exhibition football match played between a German team and Allied prisoners of war interned in a German prison camp during the Second World War.
While filming, the late football legend asked the Hollywood star to stand in goal as he demonstrated how to strike a ball, but Sylvester underestimated the force of Pelé's shot and the weight of the thick, heavy leather ball, which caused a painful injury.
On the latest episode of The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, host Marina Hyde, 52, asked the Oscar-winning actor, now 80, how much he knew about football before working on Escape to Victory.
Sylvester admitted he knew nothing about the sport and that he "learned the hard way".
The entertainer continued: "Pele broke my finger in that thing.
"Soccer didn't look so hard, and in World War Two, the balls were like bowling balls. They’re smaller, thick, brown leather. And it was steel toe shoes. Can you imagine?
"And so he goes, 'Sly, why don’t you get into the goal? I’m going to tell you exactly where I’m going to hit - like right there. You stand there and you won’t even see it.'
"I go, 'Pssh, try your best.'
"And he goes back, and he kicks it, and I hear a sound, and I put my hands up. God damn!"
Sylvester soon realised the incredible talent of his co-star, who died from multiple organ failure due to colon cancer in December 2022, aged 82.
He added: "And there was an old World War II net. So it tears through the net, and we have prisoner of war bunkers with a metal grate over the window.
"Bang. Broke the windows.
"That’s the power of his [kick]. That’s how good he was."
Elsewhere, Sylvester recently revealed he made millions from investing in art back in the 1980s.
The Rocky legend has revealed his biggest paydays have come from his art collection instead of his movie career, as he was able to spend his Hollywood earnings on paintings 40 years ago.
Sylvester says those pieces went on to swell in value, revealing he has several pieces at home which are worth more than $40 million each.
During an appearance on The Overlap podcast, he admitted he owns pieces by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, as well as more contemporary artists.
Sylvester said: "That's my weakness. Art ... I do [own] a lot more contemporary artists who are becoming the new [greats] ... George Condo, Rashid Johnson, they're this generation's Picassos."
When asked how much his Picasso and Warhol pieces are worth, he replied: "About $40 million ... for just one."
