pele biography family

Pele Biography

Birthday: October 23 , 1940 ( Libra )

Born In: Tres Coracoes, Brazil

Pele was a legendary sporting figure and an iconic soccer player who during his active years ruled the game to the point of being called the ‘King of Football’. He is widely regarded by football fans, critics, experts, and players (current and retired) as the best player of all time. With his impeccable style, electrifying play, and impressive performance, he scored a total of 1279 goals in 1363 games. It was his deep-embedded penchant for the game and knack for scoring spectacular goals that made him a star around the world. He was praised for his exceptional heading ability, powerful shot, and unbowed goal-scoring. A Brazilian national team footballer and key player for the Santos club, he played a major role in every game he played. While on the field, he gave his hundred percent to every match and played like an unbeaten pro since his very first professional game. Over his career that spanned a little over two decades, he showcased some incredible performances and catapulted the popularity of the game astronomically. Other than his spectacular showmanship on the field, Pele was regarded as the ultimate humanitarian as well, for he raised his voice to enhance the living standard and social conditions of the poor, a number of times.

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Nick Name: The King

Also Known As: Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele

Age: 83 Years , 83 Year Old Males

Spouse/Ex-: Assíria Lemos Seixas (m. 1994–2008), Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi (m. 1966–1982)

father: Dondinho

mother: Dona Celeste Arantes

children: Celeste Nascimento, Edson Cholbi Nascimento, Flávia Christina Kurtz Nascimento, Jennifer Nascimento, Joshua Nascimento, Kelly Cristina Nascimento, Sandra Regina Arantes do Nascimento

Born Country: Brazil

Football Players Brazilian Men

awards: 1995 - Brazil's Gold Medal for outstanding services to the sport

You wanted to know

What position did pele play in football, how many world cup titles did pele win, which club did pele spend the majority of his career playing for, what was a notable achievement of pele's career besides winning the world cup.

One of Pele's notable achievements was scoring over 1000 career goals during his playing career.

What impact did Pele have on promoting football globally?

Pele is credited with popularizing the sport of football globally and inspiring generations of players around the world.

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Pele was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento to Dondinho and Dona Celeste Arantes. He was the first child of the couple. He grew up with a younger brother named Zoca. His father was also a soccer player.

Originally nicknamed Dico, his friends started calling him Pele after his favorite football player Vasco da Gama ‘Bile’, whom he mispronounced as ‘Pele.’

Struck by poverty, he took up various odd jobs as a child to earn extra money. He received his early lessons in soccer from his father and played for various amateur teams in his youth.

Blessed with a talent for the game and a style of his own, he found himself a place at the Bauru Athletic Club juniors, which was coached by Waldemar de Brito. He led the team to three consecutive victories from 1954 to 1956. Additionally, he won several local indoor football competitions and championships.

Convinced of the phenomenal talent that he possessed, football star de Brito took Pele to Santos where he was inducted into the professional club, Santos FC. Pele signed a contract in June 1956 and played his first professional game in September. In the game, he scored his first professional goal against Corinthians Santo Andre.

By early 1957, he became a regular in the team and no sooner, the top scorer of the league. It was his remarkable performance that earned him a place in the national team of Brazil.

He played his first international game in July 1957 against Argentina. Though Brazil lost the match by 2-1, he scored his first international goal, thus becoming the youngest player ever to score in international football.

The year 1958 was a year of accomplishments. Not only did he help Santos register a win at the Campeonato Paulista—a top-flight professional football league in Brazil—with 58 goals, a feat unmatched to date, but he was also part of the Brazilian team which won the World Cup.

Pele made significant contributions in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals of the 1958 World Cup and scored a total of six goals in four matches. He broke a number of records in the 1958 World Cup.

His dream run of success was shortly halted as Santos lost their Paulista title in 1959, but continued with full force in 1960 as he displayed extraordinary performance on the field thereby helping Santos regain the title. The club won the Taça Brasil with him as the top scorer. It was these wins that helped Santos play Copa Libertadores, South America's premier club football tournament.

The year 1962 was the best club year of his career as he not only guided Santos in the Copa Libertadores competition to record a thrilling victory but helped the club register wins at the Campeonato Brasileiro, Taça Brasil, and 1962 Intercontinental Cup.

As for the 1962 World Cup, despite much hype and hoopla, injury took the better of him as he remained out for most of the tournament.

The year 1963 replicated the success of the previous year as Santos became the successful defending champion of the Copa Libertadores. Though the club was unable to regain the Paulista trophy, it recorded a victory at the Rio-São Paulo tournament, Intercontinental Cup, and the Taça Brasil.

Post the wins recorded in 1964 and 1965, the club’s steep climb upward rebounded and so did his contribution to the club. Though the club won the Paulista trophy for three consecutive years, Pele was not a major contributor to the fare.

The 1966 World Cup brought much pain for Pele as he was injured due to the persistent fouling by the Bulgarians. The result was Brazil’s exit from the World Cup after the first round.

He scored his 1000th goal against Vasco da Gama from a penalty kick at the Maracana Stadium in 1969. He dedicated his goal to Brazil’s poor children.

The 1970 World Cup was the last World Cup in which Pele participated. He played in all the qualifying matches and contributed 14 of the 19 goals that Brazil struck in the tournament. Brazil won the World Cup and Pele was named ‘Player of the Tournament’ for his impressive performance and extensive contribution.

Pele’s last international match was against Yugoslavia on July 18, 1971, in Rio de Janeiro. As for his club years, the 1974 season was the 19th and last season that he played for Santos before retiring.

In 1976, he emerged from semi-retirement by signing a contract with New York Cosmos. He led the club to the 1977 NASL championship in his final season with the club.

Officially his last game was on October 1, 1977, an exhibition match between Cosmos and Santos. He played the first half for the Cosmos and the second half for Santos. His last official goal was a direct free kick against Santos in the first half-time. Cosmos won the match, 2-1.

Post his hugely successful soccer career, he was appointed as a UN ambassador for ecology and the environment in 1992.

In 1995, he was appointed as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

For his impressive line-up of victories and his extraordinary role in catapulting the status of the sport to newer heights, he received numerous prestigious honors and decorations including Brazil's Gold Medal, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and Lifetime Achievement Award from BBC.

The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) voted him as the Football Player of the Century in 1999. Additionally, he was elected as the ‘Athlete of the Century’ by the International Olympic Committee and Reuters News Agency.

In 2010, he was appointed as the Honorary President of New York Cosmos. In 2012, he was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh for ‘significant contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes, as well as his sporting achievements’.

Pele's first marriage was with Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi in 1966. The couple was blessed with two daughters. They divorced in 1982.

From 1981 to 1986, he was romantically involved with Xuxa, whom he aided to become a model. Xuxa was only 17 years old when they started to date.

In 1994, he married psychologist and gospel singer Assíria Lemos Seixas. She gave birth to twins, Joshua and Celeste. The couple later separated.

Pele died of Colon Cancer on 29 December 2022, at the age of 82, in São Paulo, Brazil. A grand funeral was organized to lay the legend to rest.

Pele's real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but he was widely known by his nickname, Pele, which he got in school and means nothing in particular.

Pele was a talented musician and had released several albums showcasing his singing and guitar-playing skills.

Pele was a global ambassador for the sport of football and had worked tirelessly to promote the game and its positive impact on society.

See the events in life of Pele in Chronological Order

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Interesting Biography Facts

Edson Arantes do Nascimento

ex-football central forward

October 23, 1940

December 29, 2022 (82 years)

Zodiac Sign

Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Metropolitan University of Santos, the University of Edinburgh

Nationality

Pele family members

Father's Name

Dondinho (João Ramos do Nascimento)

Mother's Name

Celeste Arantes

Siblings names

Zoca Nascimento (late younger brother), Mária Lúcia Arantes do Nascimento Magalhães (younger sister)

Is Pele a gay/bisexual?

What is Pele marital status?

Who is Pele wife?

Marcia Aoki (wife since 2016), Assíria Lemos Seixas (ex-wife; were married in 1994-2008), Rosi Cholbi (ex-wife; were married in 1966-1982)

When did get married?

How many children does he have?

7 (daughters: Kelly Nascimento, Jennifer Nascimento, Flávia Kurtz, Celeste S. A. Nascimento, late Sandra Machado Nascimento; sons: Edinho and Joshua)

Rosi Cholbi (ex-wife; were married in 1966-1982)

Rosi Cholbi es wife Pele

Date of birth: January, 20

Pele had countless love affairs, and in one of his interviews, he even told, that the exact number of his kids was not known.

But his first official wife was Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi.

Rosi is the daughter of Idalinda Cholbi. It’s not known, how she got acquainted with Pele, but they tied the knot on February 1, 1966. At first, the couple resided in Brazil. Later they moved to New York, USA.

The couple had 3 kids. They separated in the middle 1970s and then re-united for a while. They parted their ways completely after the birth of the youngest daughter Jennifer in 1978.

Rosi Cholbi is still alive. She maintains a private way of life in the USA. Her kids keep a strong connection with their father, while she seems to be independent of her famous ex-husband now.

Assíria Lemos Seixas (ex-wife; were married in 1994-2008)

Date of birth: February 1, 1960

Assíria is Pele’s second wife. They got married on May 30, 1994. Two years later they gave birth to twins Joshua and Celeste. Besides, Assíria has a daughter from her first marriage, named Gemima McMahon, a psychologist. Although Pele didn’t cheat on his second wife, their marriage gradually came to an end in 2008.

Pele’s second wife worked as Christian Recording Artist. She is a Florida Bible College graduate. The woman was born in Recife, Brazil. Currently, she lives in Orlando, Florida. As of 2022, Assíria is single.

Marcia Aoki (wife since 2016)

Marcia Aoki wife Pele

Marcia is Pele’s third wife. They got acquainted in the 1980s but started dating in 2010 when occasionally met in Sao Paulo. They made their relationships official in July 2016.

Marcia is a medical equipment supplier. She is of Japanese-Brazilian ethnicity. Marcia maintains warm relationships with Pele’s kids from previous relationships. She cared a lot about her husband when he was diagnosed with bowel cancer and taken to a hospital.

Kelly Nascimento (daughter with Rosi Cholbi)

daughter with Rosi Cholbi

Date of birth: January 13, 1967

Kelly is Pele’s oldest child. She was born the year after he got married to Rosi Cholbi. Her parents separated when she was just 8 years old. Since that time she mostly lived with his mom and siblings in New York and just came to visit her father in Brazil during vacations.

Kelly Cristina Nascimento is an active woman. Her career is still in an active phase. She is a public speaker, storyteller, and sports diplomat.

The woman was married to a pulmonologist Arthur John DeLuca. They are separated as of now. She is the mother of 4 kids: Malcolm, Ruby, Enzo, and Ella.

Edinho (son with Rosi Cholbi)

Edunho son Pele

Date of birth: August 27, 1970

Edson Cholbi do Nascimento, widely known as Edinho, is Pele’s son of his first wife Rosi.

One day his dad introduced him to football, and Edinho understood that it was his cup of tea. The teenager Edinho decided to become a goalkeeper, as he worked with his hands better than with his legs”.

His father Pele was the King of Football. As his son, Edinho was nicknamed “Prince”, and that moniker annoyed him a lot.

During his career as a football player, he performed for such clubs as “Portuguesa Santista”, “São Caetano”, and “Ponte Preta”. He became runner-up with Santos. Probably, that was the peak of his football career. In 1999 he retired and started working as a coach.

In 2005 the police arrested him for drug trafficking and money laundering in Baixada Santista. Policemen taped his phone conversation with Ronaldo Duarte, the son of a former Santos member, who was suspected of drug dealing. Edinho was on friendly terms with Ronaldo. He was accused of drug trafficking, too, and sentenced to 33 years of prison. Later that term was shortened, and in 2019 Edinho got an open regime.

He still insists that he didn’t commit the crimes he was accused of. Edinho lives a simple lifestyle. He even doesn’t own a car. He lives with his fiancée and raises 2 daughters with her. The ex-football player is making a career as a coach now. He trains boys from Londrina FC.

Jennifer Nascimento (daughter with Rosi Cholbi)

Date of birth: 1978

Jen is Pele’s third child with Rosi. She maintains warm relationships with all her paternal siblings. Jen shares her time between USA and Brazil.

She earns her living as a musician. The woman performs under the name DJ Tia Jenny.

She is also an interpreter and writer. She studied English at Wesleyan University.

Flávia Kurtz Nascimento (daughter with Lenita Kurtz)

Date of birth: 1968

During his marriage to Rosi Cholbi, he had an affair with a woman, named Lenita Kurtz. She got pregnant from Pele and in 1968 gave birth to their daughter, named Flavia.

Currently, Flávia Christina Kurtz Nascimento works as a physiotherapist. She reached huge success in her profession and even participated in a morning television show, where she shared secrets about mental health.

Fla is closely knitted with her paternal half-sister Kelly and other half-siblings. She maintains warm relationships with her dad, too.

Sandra Regina Arantes do Nascimento (late daughter with Anizia Machado)

Date of birth: August 24, 1964

Date of death: October 17, 2006

The story of Sandra Regina Arantes do Nascimento is quite sad. Her mother, Anizia Machado, the housemaid, had an affair with Pele in the 1960s. She gave birth to a daughter Sandra. Pele refused to recognize her as his child even after a DNA test, which proved his paternity.

Sandra was a well-known politician in Santos, São Paulo. She was married to Reverend Felinto and welcomed 2 kids with him. In 2006 she died from cancer.

Joshua Nascimento (one of the twins; son with Assíria Lemos Seixas)

Date of birth: September 28, 1996

Joshua is Pele’s son from his second marriage to Assíria Lemos Seixas. Like his other siblings, Josh shared his time between USA and Brazil. He is a University of Tampa graduate. The young man also studied at Foundation Academy. Like his father and older brother Edinho, he played for Santos. The young man was in the position of forward. Currently, he is retired from professional football.

Celeste S. A. Nascimento (one of the twins; daughter with Assíria Lemos Seixas)

Celeste S. A. Nascimento is Joshua’s twin. She is another daughter from her father’s marriage to Assíria Lemos Seixas. Like her twin brother, she studied at the University of Tampa. The girl maintains warm relationships with her father and all paternal siblings.

Who are Pele parents?

Dondinho (joão ramos do nascimento) – father.

Date of birth: October 2, 1917

Date of death: November 16, 1996

Many people know Dondinho as Pele’s father. That achievement is the most important in his life, but not the only one. He was a well-known Brazilian soccer player who played as a center-forward.

Despite the fact, that João Ramos do Nascimento was a talented soccer player, his income was extremely low. He worked hard from morning till night to provide his wife Celeste and three kids, Pele himself, Zeca, and Maria Lúcia, with everything necessary.

Dondinho moved his family from one place to another till they finally settled in Bauru, the big southeastern Brazilian city. There little Edson Arantes do Nascimento started playing football. Dondinho was his first coach. Despite their incredible poverty, Edson and his father always found the necessary equipment to play their favorite soccer. Thus, they made Edson’s first ball from socks, tied between one another.

Little Edson played with his father and younger brother Zeca so skillfully, that he was nicknamed Pele. This word comes from “Bilé”, the nickname of the talented goalkeeper from his father’s team.

Dondinho was 32 when he took part Soccer World Cup in Brazil. His team lost the game to Uruguay in the World Cup final, and that was the first time when he cried. After that Pele promised his father to win the Soccer World Cup for him. As we know, he kept his word. In 1958 he won the World Cup in a match against Sweden.

João Ramos do Nascimento entered this world in Campos Gerais, Brazil. During the years of his football career, he played for several small clubs. The most renowned football club he played for was Clube Atlético Mineiro. But he had a severe injury during the first match, that’s why he was fired. In 1946 Dondinho performed for Bauru Atlético Clube and won the Indoor Championship. After retirement, he earned his living as a hospital cleaner.

During the years of his career, he crossed his ways with many famous soccer players of that time. He was also very proud of his older brother, the football star, who scored 5 goals in one match. But his talented sibling died at the young age of 25.

Dondinho was Pele’s mentor and career manager for years. He was featured in the film “King Pele”, devoted to his son in 1965.

The man passed away in 1996 in Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Celeste Arantes (mother)

Date of birth: November 1922

Pele was close with his mom, but she preferred to stay out of the limelight. It’s known, that she named her son “Edson” after the scientist and inventor Thomas Edison, who had created the electrical bulb just before Pele’s birth.

She raised 3 kids with her husband Dondinho. She earned her living as a maid and then became a full-time housewife. Pele told in one of his interviews, that his mother was “overprotective”, but due to her care, he managed to become a celebrated soccer player.

According to Pele’s words, his mother encouraged her kids to do the right things, and till now she is like an angel on his shoulder for him.

Pele’s mom is still alive. In 2022 she celebrated her 100th birthday.

Like her husband, she appeared in Pele’s documentary “King Pele” in 1965.

Pele siblings

Zoca nascimento (younger brother).

Date of birth: 1942

Date of death: March 26, 2020

Pele had 2 younger siblings, a brother, and a sister. His brother’s birth name is Jair Arantes do Nascimento, but he was called Zoca by his family members and friends.

In their childhood years, Zoca and Pele played football together. They both were members of Santos FC. Being a strong player, Zoca remained in the shadow of his super-talented brother. That’s why he left his football career and for many years he worked by his brother’s side.

Zoca ran the Pelé business group for years. He was responsible for his brother’s business in São Vicente and New York.  In São Vicente Zoca owned an apartment. He was unmarried. But he had a son, who resided in Rio de Janeiro.

He lost the battle with prostate cancer on March 26, 2020. Pele’s brother passed away in Casa de Saúde hospital in Santos. Unfortunately, the King of Football wasn’t present at his funeral as he was isolated after contact with a COVID patient.

Zoca and Pele had warm close relationships. There was no envy or rivalry between them, as their sister told in her interview in 2017.

Mária Lúcia Arantes do Nascimento Magalhães (younger sister)

Date of birth: September 1941

In addition to his brother Zoca, Pele also has a younger sister Mária Lúcia. She got married to her brother’s colleague, the former player of Santos FC Davi Magalhães. She is a business lady and helps her brother Pele with his companies. She runs Pele Comercio LTD, founded in 1978.

Her husband, Davi Magalhães, was born in Sao Paulo in 1944. He played as a forward for various clubs, including “Corinthians”. He also played for “Santos”, the same team as his brother-in-law, Pele. He ended his career as a professional soccer player at the age of 38. Then he worked as a coach. Now Davi works for his brother-in-law’s company in Santos.

Maria and Davi have 3 kids. They have a daughter Daniele Zilli, a lawyer, a daughter Débora Flor, who currently lives in Germany, and son João Paulo Magalhães. João works with his cousin Edinho.

Interesting and fun facts

Pele died at the age of 82 in a hospital surrounded by his family members. His death was announced through his Instagram account. Besides, his daughter Kely Nascimento devoted a sweet post to her late father and added a photo of her family members holding their hands over the footballer’s body.

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Pelé Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Pele

• Did Pele smoke?: No
• Did Pele drink alcohol?: No
• He was born to Dondinho and Dona Celeste Arantes. His father was a soccer player himself.

Pele’s childhood photo

• They were very poor and he had to work as a servant in a tea stall in his childhood.

Pele in his childhood

• He learned the first kicks of soccer from his father and played for many amateur teams in his youth. With no money to buy a football, he used to stuff newspapers inside socks and play with that.

Pele in his childhood playing football

• He said in an interview that the indoor tournaments he used to play in his childhood helped him to take his game to another level. The indoor tournaments taught him to make quick decisions; as the pitches were small and the players were more.
• Football star de Brito was impressed by his talents and took him to Santos in 1956, where he started his professional football career. He became a regular starter for the side in 1957.
• He became the top scorer in the league in 1957. His consistent performances earned him a place in Brazil’s squad, and he played his first game for Brazil in July 1957 against Argentina.

Pele after a successful season in Campeonato Paulista

• He scored 6 goals in 4 matches in the 1958 World Cup and eventually won the World Cup.

• In the 1962 World Cup, his campaign was halted by an injury and he remained out of most of the tournament.
• In 1964, he was involved in an affair with a housemaid, Anizia Machado who gave birth to Sandra Machado. Sandra fought for years to be acknowledged by Pele as his daughter, but he refused to submit his DNA. Although the court recognized her as his biological daughter based on the DNA evidence in 1993. Though Pele never acknowledged her as his daughter, even after her death in 2006.

Pele getting married to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi

Pele injured in 1966 World Cup

• In 1968, he had another extramarital affair with journalist Lenita Kurtz and had a daughter, Flávia, with her.
• He scored his 1000th goal against Vasco da Gama from a penalty kick at the Maracana Stadium in 1969.
• The 1970 World Cup was his last World Cup. Brazil won the World Cup, and he was named the ‘Player of the Tournament’.
• He played his last international match against Yugoslavia on July 18, 1971, in Rio de Janeiro.

Pele playing for Santos

• In 1976, he emerged from the semi-retirement by joining New York Cosmos.
• In his last game on October 1, 1977 (an exhibition match between Cosmos and Santos), he played the first half for Cosmos and the second half for Santos. He scored from a direct free kick in the first half which turned out to be his last goal.
• In 1982, Pele and his wife, Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi, divorced. Pele was then involved in a romantic relationship with a TV presenter Xuxa. She was just 17 at that time.
• In 1992, he was appointed as a UN ambassador for ecology and the environment.
• In April 1994, he married psychologist and gospel singer Assíria Lemos Seixas and had twins with her. The couple divorced in 2008.
• In 1995, he was appointed as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
• He was the Minister of Sport of Brazil from 1995 to 1998.

• He was voted “Athlete of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1999.

Pele married to Marcia Aoki

• He scored 1281 goals in 1363 games, the most by any player ever to play this game. He scored 92 hat-tricks, and scored four goals on 31 occasions, five on six occasions, and once scored eight in one match.

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Brazilian football (soccer) player Pelé is regarded as perhaps the greatest player in the history the game. During his career he was probably the most famous and possibly the best-paid athlete in the world. He was part of the Brazilian national teams that won three World Cup championships (1958, 1962, and 1970).

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, debuted for the Brazilian national football (soccer) team in 1957 at age 16. He scored a hat trick in the 1958 World Cup semifinal against France and two goals in the victory over Sweden in the championship game. Afterward the Brazilian government declared him a national treasure.

Pelé’s electrifying play and penchant for scoring spectacular goals made him a star around the world. He led Brazil to three World Cup football (soccer) championships (1958, 1962, and 1970). He scored 12 goals in World Cup play and tallied more than 1,000 goals in first-class matches. In 1999 he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee.

In addition to having been named a national treasure by the Brazilian government in 1958, Pelé was such a huge international star that when his club team, Santos FC, traveled to Nigeria in 1967, a 48-hour cease-fire in that country’s civil war was called to allow all to watch him play.

Pelé (born October 23, 1940, Três Corações, Brazil—died December 29, 2022, São Paulo, Brazil) was a Brazilian football (soccer) player, in his time probably the most famous and possibly the best-paid athlete in the world. He was part of the Brazilian national teams that won three World Cup championships (1958, 1962, and 1970).

After playing for a minor league club at Bauru , São Paulo state, Pelé (whose nickname apparently is without significance) was rejected by major club teams in the city of São Paulo . In 1956, however, he joined the Santos Football Club, which, with Pelé at inside left forward, won nine São Paulo league championships and, in 1962 and 1963, both the Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Club Cup. Sometimes called “Pérola Negra” (“Black Pearl”), he became a Brazilian national hero. He combined kicking power and accuracy with a remarkable ability to anticipate other players’ moves. After the 1958 World Cup , Pelé was declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government in order to ward off large offers from European clubs and ensure that he would remain in Brazil . On November 19, 1969, in his 909th first-class match, he scored his 1,000th goal.

Pelé made his international debut in 1957 at age 16 and the following year played his first game in the World Cup finals in Sweden . The Brazilian manager was initially hesitant to play his young star. When Pelé finally reached the field, he had an immediate impact, rattling the post with one shot and collecting an assist. He had a hat trick in the semifinal against France and two goals in the championship game, where Brazil defeated Sweden 5–2. At the 1962 World Cup finals, Pelé tore a thigh muscle in the second match and had to sit out the remainder of the tournament. Nonetheless, Brazil went on to claim its second World Cup title. Rough play and injuries turned the 1966 World Cup into a disaster for both Brazil and Pelé, as the team went out in the first round, and he contemplated retiring from World Cup play. Returning in 1970 for one more World Cup tournament, he teamed with young stars Jairzinho and Rivelino to claim Brazil’s third title and permanent ownership of the Jules Rimet Trophy. Pelé finished his World Cup career having scored 12 goals in 14 games.

Pelé’s electrifying play and penchant for spectacular goals made him a star around the world. His team Santos toured internationally in order to take full advantage of his popularity. In 1967 he and his team traveled to Nigeria, where a 48-hour cease-fire in that nation’s civil war was called to allow all to watch the great player.

Pelé announced his retirement in 1974 but in 1975 agreed to a three-year $7 million contract with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League and to promote the game in the United States . He retired after leading the Cosmos to the league championship in 1977.

Pelé was the recipient of the International Peace Award in 1978. In 1980 he was named Athlete of the Century by the French sports publication L’Equipe , and he received the same honor in 1999 from the International Olympic Committee . In 2014 the Pelé Museum opened in Santos, Brazil. In addition to his accomplishments in sports, he published several best-selling autobiographies and starred in several successful documentary and semi-documentary films. He also composed numerous musical pieces, including the soundtrack for the film Pelé (1977).

• World Biography
• Pelé Biography

PelÉ Biography

Born: October 23, 1940 Tres Coracoes, Brazil Brazilian soccer star

Pelé, called "the Black Pearl," was one of the greatest soccer players in the history of the game. With a career total of 1,280 games, he may have been the world's most popular athlete in his prime.

A young talent

Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, who took the name Pelé, was born on October 23, 1940, in Tres Coracoes, Brazil, the son of a minor league soccer player. Pelé grew up in an extremely poor neighborhood, where one of the only sources of entertainment for a poor boy was to play soccer, barefoot and with a makeshift ball. Many players on the Brazilian soccer fields gained nicknames that had no apparent meaning. His father was dubbed "Dondinho" and young Edson took the name "Pelé," though he does not recall how or why he picked up the name.

Pelé was coached by his father and the hard work soon paid off, for when he was eleven Pelé played for his first soccer team, that of the town of Bauru, Brazil. He moved up in competition with outstanding play and soon was one of the best players on the team. At the age of fifteen his mentor (an advisor), former soccer star Waldemar de Brito, brought him to Sao Paulo to try out for the major league teams. Pelé was quickly rejected. De Brito then took Pelé to Santos where he earned a spot on the soccer team. There, Pelé earned nearly five thousand cruzeiros (about sixty dollars) per month to play soccer. He soon received broader exposure when he was loaned to the Vasco da Gama team in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

International play

In 1958 Pelé went to Stockholm, Sweden, to compete in the World Cup championship, the soccer championship that brings together all of the soccer-playing nations for one tournament. His play there helped his country win its first title as Pelé scored two goals in a dramatic 4-2 win over Sweden. He returned to Santos, and his team went on to win six Brazilian titles. In 1962 he again played on the Brazilian team that won the World Cup, but an injury forced him to sit out the contest.

Soccer is a low scoring game, but on November 19, 1969, before a crowd of one hundred thousand in Rio de Janeiro, Pelé scored his one thousandth goal. He lead the Sao Paolo League in scoring for ten straight seasons. He was not only a high scorer, but a master of ball handling as well. It seemed the ball was somehow attached to his feet as he moved down the field.

In 1970 Pelé again played for Brazil's World Cup team, and in Mexico City, Mexico, they beat Italy for the championship. It was Pelé's play, both in scoring and in setting up other goals, that won them the title. When he announced that he would retire from international competition after a game to be played July 18, 1971, plans were made to televise the event throughout the world. By the time he left the game he had scored a total of 1,086 goals.

After Pelé retired, he continued to play until he was signed to play for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League for a reported three-year, $7 million contract. A year later New York was at the top of their division, and in 1977 the Cosmos won the league championship. Pelé retired for good after that victory, but continued to be active in sports circles, becoming a commentator and promoter of soccer in the United States. When the World Cup was played in Detroit, Michigan, in 1994, Pelé was there, capturing the hearts of millions of fans around the world. Later that spring, he married his second wife, Assiria Seixas Lemos. In May of 1997, he was elected Minister of Sports in his home country of Brazil.

On December 11, 2001, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) named Pelé, along with Argentina's Diego Maradona, as the men's players of the century.

For More Information

Bodo, Peter, and David Hirshey. Pelé's New World. New York: Norton, 1977.

Canazares, Susan, and Samantha Berger. Pelé, the King of Soccer. New York: Scholastic, 1999.

Harris, Harry. Pelé: His Life and Times. New York: Parkwest, 2002.

Marcus, Joe. The World of Pelé. New York: Mason/Charter, 1976.

Pelé. My Life and the Beautiful Game. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1977.

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10 Things You May Not Know About Pelé

From the origins of his name to how he played his final pro game for both teams, here are some facts about the Brazilian soccer star.

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After Brazil lost the 1950 World Cup final to Uruguay, a 9 or 10-year-old Edson Arantes do Nascimento, now better known as Pelé , made a promise to his devastated father. “I remember jokingly saying to him: ‘Don’t cry, dad — I’ll win the World Cup for you,” Pelé recalled to FIFA.com in 2014. Eight years in 1958 later, however, his so-called joke became a reality when he won the first of his record-breaking three World Cup titles

Thus began Pelé's storied career, and by the time he played his final professional game in 1977, he’d netted over 1,280 career goals as part of Brazil’s Santos Football Club and the New York Cosmos. Although he was widely considered to be the greatest soccer player of all time, here are 10 things you might not know about Pelé:

He was named after Thomas Edison

As Pelé explained in a September 2014 tweet , his father João Ramos, a soccer player also known as Dondinho, and mother Dona Celeste named him Edson, after Thomas Edison . ”Electricity had just been introduced to my hometown in Brazil when I was born,” wrote the Três Corações native. First nicknamed “Dico” by his family, Pelé later explained that the moniker by which he’s currently known worldwide “really bugged” him at first.

“I was really proud that I was named after Thomas Edison and wanted to be called Edson,” he wrote in a 2006 Guardian piece . “I thought Pelé sounded horrible. It was a rubbish name. Edson sounded so much more serious and important.” Although the sports star added he “can never be 100 percent certain about the origin,” the most probable explanation is that the nickname was given to him by classmates because he mispronounced the name of one of his dad’s soccer teammates: Vasco de Sao Lourenco, a goalkeeper affectionately known as "Bilé."

“So when someone said, "Hey, Pelé," I would shout back and get angry. On one occasion I punched a classmate because of it and earned a two-day suspension,” he wrote. “Now I love the name — but back then it wound me up no end.”

He got creative when he couldn’t afford a soccer ball or shoes

Growing up in poverty, Pelé practiced his dribbling skills with a sock stuffed with rags when his family couldn’t afford to buy him an actual soccer ball. When he was 6, the family moved to a larger town in southern Brazil, where he shined shoes and sold roasted peanuts outside movie theaters to earn money for a soccer ball. Unable to afford shoes himself, he also frequently played barefoot, and his friends eventually formed a team called the Shoeless Ones. Later, barefooted games played in vacant lots became known as “ pelada ,” believed to be named after Pelé.

His first contract was far from lucrative

At 15 years old, Pelé signed his first contract with Santos in 1956, earning just $10 a month. According to ESPN, he used his pay to buy his mother a gas stove, though their town didn’t haven’t the capability to pipe gas into homes. Years later, he signed a three-year $7 million contract with the New York Cosmos in 1975, making him the highest‐paid team athlete in the world at the time. The New York Times estimated that $2 million of the deal went to taxes for the native Brazilian, however. “He will pay his own taxes, just like every American,” Cosmos vice president and general manager Clive Toye explained in 1975, per the newspaper.

He’s a Brazilian national treasure — literally

After Pelé led Brazil’s national team to their first World Cup win in 1958, European clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester United began courting the rising star. In order to prevent him from being traded to foreign teams, Brazilian President Jânio Quadros eventually had Pelé declared a national treasure in 1961.

“Well, first of all it was an honor for me. But I pay income tax like anybody else,” he joked to Esquire in 2016. “I was invited — I had several proposals to play in Europe. For Real Madrid, for AC Milan, for Bayern Munich. But at that time, we didn't have too many Brazilian players outside the country. I was very happy at my team, Santos. I didn't have the desire to play outside the country.”

He held two Guinness World Records

By the end of his career, Pelé had won three FIFA World Cups with Brazil (in 1958, 1962 and 1970), earning him the most wins by any player. Of course, that’s but one of the many records he broke on the soccer field. The four goals Pelé scored in his 1956 professional debut only set the stage for the 1,283 total goals he’d go on to rack up over the years. There is some debate over Guinness’ total number, however, since multiple outlets reported that he scored more than 500 of those goals in “unofficial friendlies and tour games,” rather than in professional competition.

Henry Kissinger convinced him to play in the U.S.

After Pelé retired from the Brazilian national team and Santos in 1974, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger traveled to Sao Paulo to convince him to return to gameplay for the New York Cosmos. "He invited me to go to the cafe with him, and there he said, 'Listen. You know I'm from the United States, and I'm in politics there. Soccer is coming along there-they're playing it in the schools. Would you like to help us promote soccer in the United States?'” Pelé, who didn’t speak English at the time, recalled to Esquire in 2016. “And I said, 'My God.'"

Prior to him signing a reported $7 million, three-year contract with the New York Cosmos, Kissinger reportedly sent him a telegram that read: “Should you decide to sign a contract, I am sure your stay in the United States will substantially contribute to closer ties between Brazil and the United States in the field of sports.”

He once (temporarily) stopped a war

Kissinger noted in a 1999 Time article that both sides in Nigeria’s civil war called a 48-hour cease-fire in 1967 so Pelé could play an exhibition match in the capital of Lagos. Santos' website elaborates that the region's military governor Samuel Ogbemudia declared a holiday and opened up a bridge so that both sides could watch Pelé’s 2-1 victory over Nigeria.

“We were asked to play a friendly match on Benin City, in the middle of a Civil War, but Santos was so beloved that they agreed on a ceasefire on the matchday. It became known as the day that 'Santos stopped the war,'” Pelé tweeted in 2020. (In recent years, however, some have debated the extent of the reported ceasefire.)

He was friends with Nelson Mandela

Pelé left a family holiday to play in 2007’s “ 90 Minutes for Mandela ” charity match in honor of the South African president ’s 89th birthday. During a joint press conference, Pelé awarded Mandela an autographed jersey, which the latter called a “priceless gift” he’d treasure for the rest of his life.

“He was my hero, my friend, and also a companion to me in our fight for the people and for world peace,” Pelé tweeted following Mandela’s 2013 death, also calling the leader “one of the most influential people” in his life.

He played for both teams in his final pro game

In October 1977, Pelé competed in his final professional game in an exhibition match between the New York Cosmos and Santos F.C. in front of 77,000 spectators — including Muhammad Ali — at New Jersey’s Giants Stadium. He played the first half of the game for Santos, scoring one goal, and then switched jerseys and played for the Cosmos in the second half. The Cosmos eventually won the match with a final score of 2-1.

He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II

Despite not being of British descent, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed upon Pelé the honorary title of Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) in 1997 for his humanitarian work and activism. Beginning in 1994, Pelé served as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Champion for Sport and a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, creating such campaigns as Children in Need fundraising in 1996, and the Match of the Hearth, in 2000. “It will always stay in my memory,” he tweeted in 2020 of his honorary knighthood. “I thank all the British people for their affection.”

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Skills, charisma, mysticism: The life of football legend Pele

The world bids farewell to one of the greatest footballers ever seen.

Santos, Brazil – A famous sports writer once said that “if Pelé had not been born a man, he would have been born a football”.

Pelé – real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento – one of the greatest footballers the world had ever seen, died on Thursday at the age of 82.

Born in the state of Minas Gerais in 1940, Pelé’s family moved to a nearby city called Bauru looking for a better life. He grew up in poverty and his parents could not even afford a football. An old sock filled with newspapers was the first “ball” his magical feet kicked but it was enough for him to fall in love with the game and for people to start noticing he was different.

When Pelé was 15, a local coach, Waldemar de Brito, took him to play for the football club Santos. Upon arriving in the city that shares the name with the club, Brito told the coach, “This kid will be the best in the world.”

Within minutes, the coach was impressed with Pelé and signed him on the spot. This was 1956. Two years later, Pelé would be in Sweden, spearheading Brazil to a World Cup title, the first of six for the team. He scored two goals in the final against Sweden. He was still 17.

At the final whistle, the wonder kid fainted on the field while being carried by the celebrating crowd.

Pelé was famously easy-going, kind, joyful, and a reliable friend.

“Pelé was always a very nice guy. We would spend so much time talking. He didn’t have any star attitude,” Didi, 84, one of Pelé’s oldest friends and his barber of 55 years, told Al Jazeera.

“I tell my grandchildren that I had one client more famous than anyone else. This is a man who is known more all over the world than Coca Cola. So I feel proud of it and it’s very rare for someone to have a client like this.”

Pelé had a certain way of speaking Portuguese, something he would turn into a trademark. He would constantly finish his sentences with “entende?” which means “understand?”.

It seems he always wanted to make sure to facilitate conversations, just like he would smooth out his teammates’ game.

In addition to skills and charisma, a certain mysticism always surrounded the character of the King of Football. Pelé was from a city called Três Corações, which translates to Three Hearts.

One of his many famous quotes, made at his last match ever played in 1977 in New York, was honouring children and with his limited English, he just said “love, love, love.”

On the pitch, Pelé became an instant celebrity following the 1958 World Cup triumph. Upon returning to Brazil, he helped Santos build a dynasty, winning 25 titles in the 1960s. Despite being world-famous, Pelé kept living a down-to-earth life in Santos. He would share a guest house with other players and cycle around the city.

“The pay was pretty bad but he did it for love of the game and we had so much fun,” Carlos “Lala”, 86, a goalkeeper and Pelé’s former Santos teammate, told Al Jazeera.

Despite being a widely diverse country ethnically, Brazil is not often represented by people of colour. So having someone Black as its biggest celebrity and star had a cultural impact on the country.

Aside from being the world’s best footballer, Pelé also ventured into showbusiness. A lover of music, he recorded an album with Brazilian legendary singer Elis Regina and acted in a handful of movies, making him a pop star as well.

In 1962, Brazil won a second successive World Cup with an injured Pelé supporting the team.

It was in 1970, at the first World Cup broadcasted in colour, that Pelé put the cherry on top of his football legacy. The team that had Clodoaldo, Rivelino and Tostão, put in one of the most celebrated World Cup performances in history.

In the final, a 4-1 win over Italy, Pelé scored a header – the team’s opening goal – that some people said he managed by freezing midair. He celebrated the goal in his typical manner: Jumping and punching the air.

“I told myself before the game that Pelé is made of skin and bones just like everyone else. But I was wrong,” said Tarciso Burnigch, the Italian defender appointed to mark Pelé in the final.

That was Pelé’s 12th and final World Cup goal.

In 1969, he had become the first player to score 1,000 goals. The 1,000th goal was at the Maracanã, in Rio de Janeiro, known as the Mecca of Football.

In 1974, he left Santos and played his final years in New York, at a club called Cosmos.

It was the only team he played for other than Santos and Brazil’s national side.

“As we [the security team] were always with the team, traveling, at the games, we had a lot of contact with them, so we developed a friendship,” Pedro de Liberato, Pele’s security guard, and then his neighbour, told Al Jazeera.

“Pelé was always very joyful, always joking with people,” the 90-year-old added.

Pelé wore the number 10 jersey but he did not know which number he would have and was assigned 10 randomly.

The number 10 jersey has since then become associated with the world’s best – Maradona, Roberto Baggio, Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi are just some of them who have worn it.

Pelé retired after playing 1,363 games, winning 37 titles, scoring 1,281 goals, including 92 career hat-tricks.

He spent his post-football life involved in social activism, including being a UNESCO goodwill ambassador.

In 1995, he took public office as minister of sports, introducing the legislation that grants players their own rights after a certain age. Pelé also commented on games for television.

In recent years, Pelé struggled with his health. Aside from battling cancer, he also suffered from severe hip pain and spent most of his last years in a wheelchair.

Inside Pelé’s family life: Three marriages, divorces and health issues

The legendary Brazilian footballer scored 680 goals in club football and was 82 years old when he passed away on 29 December 2022 and was survived by his seven children

• 22:12, 29 DEC 2022

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Pelé was one of Brazil's most famous football players after scoring 680 goals in club football.

He passed away at the age of 82 following a series of health complications.

The footballer was survived by his seven children and left behind a long and successful career.

Read more: Argentina's Lionel Messi poses with wife Antonela and three kids Mateo, Ciro and Thiago

Where was Pelé born?

Pelé was originally from Três Corações, Minas Gerais in Brazil and was born on 23 October 1940.

His birth name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento and was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison.

Where did the name Pelé come from?

Pelé originally had the nickname Dico, but it was reported during his school days he couldn’t properly pronounce the name of his favourite local football player, Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé.

He would complain about the nickname which caused it to stick more.

Who were Pelé’s wives?

Pelé has been married three times. He first tied the knot in 1966 to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi. They divorced in 1982.

The former couple welcomed two daughters named Kelly Cristina and Jennifer, and a son named Edson.

Pelé got married a second time to psychologist and gospel singer Assíria Lemos Seixas.

Following fertility treatments, they welcomed twins Joshua and Celeste. The pair went on to divorce in 2008.

His most recent marriage was in 2016 to Japanese-Brazilian importer of medical equipment Marcia Aoki.

They began dating in 2020 and first met in the mid-1980s in New York.

Pelé has two other children, daughter Sandra Machado who passed away in 2006 from cancer and daughter Flávia Kurtz.

What health problems did Pelé have?

It was reported in 1977 that Pelé had his right kidney removed.

He underwent a hip operation in 2012. He was seen in a wheelchair in 2017 and was taken to hospital a month later after collapsing.

The following year, he was hospitalised due to a urinary tract infection and underwent surgery to remove kidney stones.

In September 2021, Pelé had a tumour removed from the right side of his colon and began chemotherapy at the end of the month.

In December 2022, he was hospitalised for treatment. He shared that his tumour had advanced and involved “renal and cardiac dysfunctions”.

He passed away on 29 December after multiple organ failure, which was a complication of his colon cancer.

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