pele biography video

Pelé: Athlete of the Century

Discover the story of the three-time world cup winner who made history in brazilian and world soccer., folha de s.paulo.

Pelé comemora o bicampeonato paulista após vitória do Santos sobre o Juventus (1965-11-27) Folha de S.Paulo

Named Athlete of the Century by the international media and various sporting bodies, former soccer player Edson Arantes do Nascimento—or Pelé as he is more commonly known—is considered the most famous Brazilian in the world.

Among the former player's awards are the Cross of the Order of the Hungarian Republic, France's Knight of the Legion of Honor, and the Knight Order of the British Empire, which he received from Queen Elizabeth II herself at a ceremony in the UK.

Pelé (1962) Folha de S.Paulo

The boy from Três Corações

Dico, as he was known by his family, was born on October 23, 1940, in the town of Três Corações (Minas Gerais State).

He was the eldest child of Celeste Arantes do Nascimento and João Ramos do Nascimento (1917–96)—himself a soccer player nicknamed Dondinho. Pelé had a brother, former soccer player Jair Arantes do Nascimento (1942–2020), and a sister, Maria Lúcia, who was the baby of the family.

Pelé (1960) Folha de S.Paulo

Pelé's early years were spent not only in Três Corações, but also in the rural town of Lorena (São Paulo State) and São Lourenço (Minas Gerais State), where his father played as a center forward for local clubs Esporte Clube Hepacaré and Vasco da Gama de São Lourenço, respectively.

When he was 4, his family moved again—this time to Bauru, another rural town in São Paulo State, where his father would play for Bauru Atlético Clube. As well as being an excellent header of the ball, Dondinho was considered one of the best center forwards in southern Minas Gerais.

Pelé (1958-11-11) Folha de S.Paulo

The shoeshine boy

An early awareness of poverty meant that, even as a small boy, Pelé did odd jobs to contribute to the family income, whether that was shining shoes or selling peanuts.

Pelé and Bilé

According to friends of the former striker, he became known as Pelé because he struggled to pronounce the name of one of his heroes—Bilé, who played in goal for Vasco da Gama de São Lourenço. In interviews, however, Pelé has said that he does not know exactly where his nickname came from.

Pelé (1958) Folha de S.Paulo

An outstanding player in street soccer games in Bauru in the 1950s, Pelé progressed through the junior teams at various clubs, namely Vai Quem Quer, Canto do Sete de Setembro, Ameriquinha, Radium, Noroeste, and Baquinho, the feeder club for Bauru Atlético Clube.

At the age of 13, he was the star player in the 1954 Bauruense League championship when his team, Baquinho, were crowned champions. According to interviews with Pelé himself, that season was the first time he wore cleats.

Pelé entre os dirigentes do Santos (1958-12-07) Folha de S.Paulo

“Youngster Pelé Is Off to Santos” was the story that a Bauru newspaper ran about the star's move to Santos Soccer Club, based at the Vila Belmiro Stadium.

In the photo, Santos directors Athiê Jorge Coury and Modesto Roma hug Pelé after the team's 6-1 win over Corinthians in the 1958 Paulista Championship.

Pelé posa para foto com a equipe do Santos (1958) Folha de S.Paulo

Pelé’s Santos story began on July 22, 1956, when Waldemar de Brito—the then Baquinho manager who had played as a center forward for Brazil at the 1934 World Cup—brought him in to play for the club.

Pelé’s brilliance on the soccer field led to him being called up to the first team before he even turned 16. In his first game as a professional, a friendly against Corinthians de Santo André on September 7, Santos thrashed their rivals 7-1.

1958 Paulista champions

Pelé is hugged by Paulo Machado de Carvalho—the businessman who headed the Brazilian delegation at the 1958 and 1962 World Cups—after thrashing Guarani FC 7-1 in Campinas (São Paulo State) to win the Paulista Championship for the first time.

Scoring four of his team’s seven goals in the final made Pelé the league’s top goal scorer. His 58 goals in a single season have never been beaten, and this was the beginning of an era that would shape Santos FC and Brazilian soccer forever.

Pelé (1962-09-19) Folha de S.Paulo

In a survey by the Argentinian sports magazine El Gráfico in the 1960s, Santos were named the best team of all time. With their stars Pepe, Coutinho, Dorval, Mengálvio, and Pelé forming a famous and much-feared attack, that era is still the most successful in the club’s history.

The 1963 season was another glorious one for Pelé and Santos, with the club winning the Rio-São Paulo Tournament, becoming Brazilian champions for the third time, and winning both the South American Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Cup for the second time.

Pelé durante partida entre Santos e Esporte Clube Bahia (1969-11-17) by Antônio Pirozzelli Folha de S.Paulo

The 1,000th goal

On Wednesday November 19, 1969, there was a party atmosphere among the 65,000 spectators in Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium for the match between Vasco da Gama and Santos. Journalists from all around the world were there when Pelé, at the age of 29, scored the long-awaited 1,000th goal of his career after the home side's center half, Fernando Silva, gave away a penalty.

The teams were competing in the Roberto Gomes Pedrosa Tournament and Santos came from a goal down to beat their Rio rivals 2-1.

Pelé (1974-10-02) Folha de S.Paulo

Farewell to Santos

On October 2, 1974, Pelé played his last game in a Santos shirt in the match against Ponte Preta. Santos won the game 2-0, but Pelé only played the first 21 minutes. Clearly moved, Pelé did a lap of honor of the ground where he had become a legend.

During his 18 years at Santos, he scored 1,091 goals in 1,116 games. Some of his greatest achievements at the club included winning both the South American Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Cup twice, the Rio-São Paulo Tournament four times, the Brazilian Championship six times, and the Paulista Championship 10 times.

Pelé com uniforme de treino da seleção brasileira (1974) Folha de S.Paulo

In June 1975, a year after leaving Santos, Pelé signed a multimillion-dollar contract with the New York Cosmos, a North American club that was looking to expand soccer in the US.

During a visit back to Brazil later in 1975, Pelé once again put on a Santos shirt for an exhibition game in Salvador against Bahia, in the Governor Roberto Santos Tournament, also known as the Hunger Tournament (Torneio da Fome). The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Pelé no estádio do Santos (1990-10-23) by Sérgio Tomisaki Folha de S.Paulo

His final farewell

Pelé played his last competitive match on August 28, 1977, when he helped Cosmos to a 2-1 win over Seattle Sounders in the North American League. But the star’s real farewell was in a friendly between Cosmos and Santos on October 1 in New York.

During the match, which ended in a 2-1 Cosmos win, Pelé wore both teams' shirts. It was his way of honoring the club that made him a sports legend.

Playing for Brazil

In 1957, Pelé was just 16 when he was called on by the manager of Brazil's national team, Vicente Feola. That same year, he won his first international trophy, the Rocca Cup—a friendly between Brazil and Argentina.

He won the World Cup in 1958 (Sweden), 1962 (Chile), and 1970 (Mexico), making him the only player to win the trophy three times. Across all the tournaments he played in for the national side, he scored 77 goals in 113 matches.

In an exclusive interview with Folha TV, Pelé talks about playing in the World Cup

Pelé (1958-06-19) Folha de S.Paulo

Sweden, 1958

Pelé’s first appearance in the World Cup came in a 2-0 win over the former Soviet Union on June 15, 1958. His first goal in the tournament, however, was the only goal in the match against Wales. In the final against Sweden, Pelé scored twice in Brazil’s 5-2 defeat of the host nation.

Pelé comemora a vitória na Copa do Mundo do Chile (1962-06-17) Folha de S.Paulo

Chile, 1962

In the 1962 World Cup in Chile, an injury Pelé sustained in the match against the former Czechoslovakia put an end to his participation in the tournament. Four years later, at the 1966 World Cup in the UK, Brazil went out in the group stages following a 3-1 defeat to Portugal.

Pelé ergue a Taça Jules Rimet ao lado do presidente da República Emílio Garrastazu Médici (1970-06-23) by Roberto Stuckert Folha de S.Paulo

Mexico, 1970

The Brazilian team started their 1970 World Cup in Mexico—which would be Pelé’s last—by beating the former Czechoslovakia 4-1 on June 3, 1970.

On June 21, Brazil beat Italy 4-1 in the final, becoming the first team to win the World Cup three times. The best soccer player of all time was saying goodbye to the best soccer tournament in the world.

The last goal and the last game On July 11, 1971, Pelé played his penultimate game for the national side in a friendly against Austria at São Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and the King of Soccer was treated like royalty after what would be his last goal in the famous yellow shirt. One week later, on July 18, Pelé put on a Brazilian shirt for the last time for a friendly between Brazil and the former Yugoslavia at Rio’s Maracanã Stadium. The match ended 2-2 with goals from Gérson and Rivellino.

Pelé e família (1972) Folha de S.Paulo

Pelé’s first marriage was to Rosemeri Cholbi in 1966. The couple would go on to have three children: Kelly Cristina, Edinho (the former Santos goalkeeper), and Jennifer, who was born in 1978—the year her parents separated. Pelé also had two other daughters from other relationships: Flávia Kurtz and Sandra Regina, who died in 2006.

In 1994, he had twins, Celeste and Joshua, with his second wife, psychologist Assíria Lemos. Pelé lived with his third wife, businesswoman Marcia Cibele Aoki until his death on December 29, 2022.

Pelé atuando com a camisa do Santos (1966) by Aroldo Chiorino/Folhapress Folha de S.Paulo

Pelé atuando em jogo-treino entre Brasil e Escócia, em Hampden Park, para a Copa da Inglaterra, em 1966.

Copyright Folhapress . All rights reserved. Commercial use and/or reproduction of this photo or any part of it without express authorization and licensing from Folhapress is prohibited. To license this content, please contact [email protected] .

Ayrton Senna

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• ESPN Classic - Pele, King of Futbol
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• BlackPast - Biography of Pele
• Pelé - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Pelé - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

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).

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.

Biography Online

Pele Biography

“I was born for soccer, just as Beethoven was born for music.” – Pele

Pele was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on 23 October 1940 in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison (his parents removed the i). In his childhood, he gained a nickname ‘Pele’ – after he mispronounced the name of a goalkeeper ‘Bile’ – Initially Pele disliked it and complained, but the more he complained, the more it stuck. Pele has no meaning and was intended as an insult, though later it was found that the word Bilé is Hebrew for “miracle.”

Pele grew up in poverty in São Paulo. He was taught to play football by his father (who used to play football), but often he had to practise with a sock stuffed with newspapers because he could not afford to buy a football. As well as playing football, he worked as a waiter in local tea shops.

In his youth, Pele played in indoor leagues, and this helped increase his speed of reactions. He rose through the youth leagues and at the age of 15 was signed by Santos FC. He was soon marked out as a future star. By the age of 16, he was the top scorer in the Brazilian league and received a call up for the Brazilian national side. Interest was such that the Brazilian President declared Pele a national treasure to prevent him being bought by foreign clubs such as Manchester United.

Pele’s World Cups

1970 World Cup

Style of play

Pele was relatively short at  5″ 8′, but he more than compensated in terms of speed, power, agility and strength. He was superb with both feet, powerful in the air, great timing and accuracy and an extraordinary perception of the game. He could mesmerise defenders with his eyes and send them the wrong way. He had a scoring ratio of 0.94 goals per game and often rose to the big occasion, scoring at crucial moments in big games. Whilst very competitive, he was also considered to be a fair player with good sense of sportsmanship. A good example was his warm embrace of Bobby Moore, the England caption after England’s defeat in the 1970 World Cup. It is sometimes held up as an embodiment of sportsmanship. Without any doubt, he is universally regarded as the greatest player of the twentieth century – if not all time. He is one of the few sportsman like Muhammad Ali and Usain Bolt, who transcend their sport to become a global icon. French footballer Michel Platini said of Pele.

“There’s Pelé the man, and then Pelé the player. And to play like Pelé is to play like God.

In the domestic league, Pele made his debut for Santos aged just 16. He played for Santos in the Brazilian league from until the 1972-73 season.

Pele finished his career in the lucrative US league. In 1975, he signed for New York Cosmos and played three seasons. He led the New York Cosmos to the US title in 1977 – the year of his retirement.

Personal life

Pele was married three times and had several children, some out of wedlock. In 1970, he was investigated by the authoritarian Brazilian government for suspected sympathy to left-wing political prisoners. Pele was investigated for handing out leaflets calling for the release of political prisoners. After the investigation, he did not get involved in politics again.

After retiring has gone on to be a great ambassador for football and sport in general. In 1992, Pelé was appointed a UN ambassador for ecology and the environment. He was also appointed a UNESCO goodwill ambassador. He is not only one of the most gifted footballers of his generation, but, also a mild-mannered man who used his fame and prestige for a positive effect.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Pele”, Oxford, UK. www.biographyonline.net. Last updated 8 March 2020. Originally published 18 April 2010.

Some Highlights of Pele’s Career

• Athlete of the Century , by Reuters News Agency: 1999
• Athlete of the Century , elected by International Olympic Committee: 1999
• UNICEF Football Player of the Century : 1999
• TIME One of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century : 1999
• FIFA Player of the Century : 2000

Pele – autobiography at Amazon

Related pages

"If you would use the word perfect, Pele almost is there. He was the greatest soccer player in the history of this game, " says former West German star Franz Beckenbauer on ESPN Classic's SportsCentury.

"Heroes walk alone, but they become myths when they ennoble the lives and touch the hearts of all of us," said former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. "For those who love soccer, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, generally known as Pele, is a hero."

Pele. A name short in length, but long in significance. There are many stories that explain where the name came from, but none can explain the phenomenon.

It all started in the backwoods of Brazil, where a young boy nicknamed Dico was playing his favorite game better than any of the other neighborhood kids. One day, the other boys started calling him Pele. He didn't know where the name came from, since it had no meaning in Portuguese, but he didn't like it. Dico fought the other kids thinking the name Pele was an insult. No matter. The name stuck.

Pele, the athlete, came out of nowhere as well. In 1958, people turned on the television to watch the first international broadcast of the World Cup. Black and white screens flickered as a skinny 17-year-old, playing with imagination and verve, ran circles around seasoned veterans. By the end of that World Cup, the name Pele had shot across the globe.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Pele traveled the world with his club team Santos and his national team Brazil, entertaining crowds with his magical brand of soccer. He scored 1,281 goals in his 22-year career. But you didn't have to see him to believe in him. His name became a myth that traveled to the far reaches of the world. The world wanted to touch, to witness Pele. Other than Muhammad Ali, no other athlete could rival the magnitude of his popularity.

In Nigeria a two-day truce was declared in the war with Biafra so that both sides could see him play. The Shah of Iran waited three hours at an airport just to speak with Pele. A survey in the early 1970s showed that the name Pele ranked behind only Coca-Cola as the most popular brand in Europe.

Pele's feats on the field only fueled his fame. On Nov. 19, 1969, he scored his 1,000th goal, an unprecedented achievement that was celebrated with gusto in Brazil. But even he had to share the headlines the next day because Americans Conrad and Bean had landed on the moon.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born on Oct. 23, 1940 to Dondinho and Dona Celeste in the impoverished town of Tres Coracoes in the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil. Pele's father was a local professional soccer player who held the distinction of scoring five goals with his head in one game.

Pele created his own reputation as a soccer player with the Bauru Athletic Club. His skills were noticed by a former World Cup player, Valdemar de Brito, who took him to Santos, a midlevel club team on the coast of Brazil. In his first full season at Santos, he scored a league-leading 32 goals. Soon afterward, the 17-year-old was selected for Brazil's 1958 World Cup.

Pele missed the first two games of the tournament in Sweden with a knee injury. He made up for lost time by scoring the game-winning goal in the quarterfinals and a hat trick in the semifinals. After Pele's two goals in the final, his teammates lifted the child prodigy onto their shoulders and hoisted their country's first Jules Rimet Trophy.

Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodrigues anointed Pele "the King." Journalist Joao Luiz de Albuquerque talked about the impact of Pele's performance: "He was the light at the end of the tunnel. All the poor said, hey, this guy made it, I can make it. He brought the rest of Brazil with him."

The new king of soccer was feted with record offers from European teams, including a million-dollar bid by Inter Milan of Italy. The extraordinary proposals prompted Brazilian president Janio Quadros to decree Pele a "national treasure."

With its top player's newfound fame, Santos turned into the Harlem Globetrotters of international soccer, with Pele receiving a hefty share of Santos' exhibition fees. He became the world's highest paid team-sport athlete with an annual income estimated at $150,000.

For all of his exploits with Santos in the 1960s, Pele suffered through the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. He sustained a groin injury in a game leading up to the 1962 tournament in Chile. While Pele scored a goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico in the first game, he aggravated the injury in the following contest, against Czechoslovakia, and was sidelined for the rest of the tournament. His replacement, Amarildo, filled in admirably, scoring three goals as Brazil successfully defended its crown.

Pele returned to the world stage in 1966 as Brazil went after an unprecedented third straight World Cup. However, misfortune shadowed him again as an injury limited him to two games. Brazil lost two of three and failed to advance past the first round.

Going into the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, there were questions surrounding Pele's legacy. He spoke about the criticism in Pele: His Life and Times . "I wanted to put to rest once and for all, the idea that I couldn't enter a World Cup series without getting hurt," he wrote.

The king of soccer was true to his word during the three-week competition, scoring four goals and handing out six assists. Brazil beat Italy 4-1 in the final with Pele's opening goal being the country's 100th in World Cup history. Tarcisio Burgnich, the defender who marked Pele in the final, said, "I told myself before the game, he's made of skin and bones just like everyone else. But I was wrong."

Pele was the first to play on three World Cup winners, as Brazil's win secured the right to take the Jules Rimet Trophy home for good.

In 1974, the player nicknamed the Black Pearl played his last game for Santos. He had been planning on retirement but a bad business deal left him $1 million in debt. Top European teams sought to sign the king. But Pele also entertained an offer from the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.

"It really was ludicrous to think that Pele, the greatest player of all, was going to end up playing for this ridiculous little team in New York drawing 1,500 people," said Clive Toye, the Cosmos general manager. "But I told him don't go to Italy, don't go to Spain, all you can do is win a championship. Come to the U.S. and you can win a country."

In 1975 Pele signed a $2.8-million, three-year contract with the Cosmos. His presence in the NASL helped boost average attendance by almost 80 percent from 1975 (7,597) to 1977 (13,584).

After leading the Cosmos to the league championship in 1977, Pele played his final game. On a somber day at Giants Stadium, Pele, who played one half for the Cosmos and the other half for Santos, scored his final goal. A Brazilian newspaper noted about the atmosphere of the rainy day, "Even the Sky Was Crying."

After Pele retired, he took his energy as an athlete and put it into his career as a global pitchman and ambassador for soccer. He has spent time broadcasting, writing columns, representing products such as Coca-Cola, MasterCard and Viagra, and even dabbling in politics when he became Brazil's Minister of Sport in 1994.

It has been more than a quarter of a century since his last competitive game, and yet Pele cannot visit any country without crowds flocking. When a reporter asked if his fame compared to that of Jesus Christ's, Pele replied, "There are parts of the world where Jesus Christ is not so well known."

Pelé: a global superstar and cultural icon who put passion at the heart of soccer

Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy, SKEMA Business School

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Pelé, soccer’s first global superstar, has died at the age of 82 . To many fans, the Brazilian will be remembered as the best to have ever played the game .

For others it goes further: He was the symbol of soccer played with passion, gusto and a smile. Indeed, he helped to forge an image of the game, which even today lots of people continue to crave.

Pelé wasn’t just a great player and a wonderful ambassador for the world’s favorite game ; he was a cultural icon. Indeed, he remains the face of a purity in soccer that existed long before big money and global geopolitics infiltrated the game.

It is testament to his legend that everyone from English 1966 World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton and current French superstar Kylian Mbappé to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – the former and incoming president of Brazil – and former U.S. President Barack Obama have led tributes to him.

Early days at Santos

Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in Sao Paulo state, Brazil in 1940. His early years were the same as many soccer players who preceded him and countless who then followed and were inspired by him: born into poverty , introduced to the game by a family member, later becoming obsessed by a sport that taught him about life and gave him opportunities.

Youth team football came first, in 1953, when he signed for his local club, Bauru. But it was his first professional club, Santos, that propelled Pelé toward stardom. Having moved there in 1956, he played 636 matches and scored 618 goals before leaving in 1974. Not just the beating heart of the team, Pelé was also an immense, one-club loyalist.

Long before the feats of modern-day stars Cristiano Ronaldo or Erling Haaland, Pelé blazed a goal-scoring trail that marked him out as being significantly different to other players around him. Similarly, he displayed levels of skill which even today mean that some observers of the game place the Brazilian ahead of the likes of other contenders for the title of Greatest of All Time: Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona .

Within a year of signing for Santos, Pelé made his debut for Brazil, three months short of his 17th birthday. He scored in that game against Argentina, and 65 years later he remains the Brazilian national team’s youngest-ever scorer.

A year later, in 1958, this young player helped his national team win the World Cup in Sweden. Then again in 1962 , at the World Cup in Chile, and once more at the 1970 tournament in Mexico.

Ultimately, Pelé played 92 times for Brazil, scoring 77 goals. By comparison, England’s Harry Kane has scored 53 times in 80 matches . In addition to his national team achievements, for his club Pelé won six Brazilian league titles and two South American championships.

The American years

Later, in 1975, he came out of semi-retirement to play for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League. By then, Pelé was in his mid-30s but still managed to score 37 goals in 64 matches. Some believe that it was his brief stint playing in the United States that kick-started the country’s interest in football .

After his retirement, Pelé was venerated, adored and remained influential. He became FIFA’s Player of the 20th century , an award he shared with Maradona. In 2014, he was given FIFA’s first-ever Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur , and even Nelson Mandela spoke of his regard for the Brazilian when presenting him with a Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2000.

Pelé’s talent has never been in doubt. Yet it was fortuitous that he played at a time when soccer was emerging from the shadows cast by global conflict, when the world needed symbols of hope and sporting heroes.

The Brazilian was able to serve this purpose, though he did so during a period when television – first black-and-white, then color – brought soccer directly into people’s living rooms. At the time, Pelé was Messi, Ronaldo and Mbappé rolled into one – made globally consumable by this new technology.

Inevitably, during his life, Pelé encountered problems: his commercial activities were sometimes mired in controversy; at one stage he was labeled a left-wing antagonist of the Brazilian government, then was later described as being too conservative in his views of the Brazilian dictatorship. He had numerous children – some the result of affairs – and one of them, a son, Edinho, was sent to prison for laundering money made from drug deals.

However, the abiding memory is of a man who played soccer in a way that many of us – both amateurs and professionals – have all aspired to. Pelé was not only skillful, he also brought great joy to innumerable people across the world, over a period of decades. For all of us, even those with just the slightest interest in football, we will never forget him.

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Home › Players › Pelé

B orn on October, 23, 1940 in Minas Gerais, Brazil, Edson Arantes do Nascimento would become more commonly known around the world as Pelé. His father, João Ramos do Nascimento, played professional soccer himself, but his career never brought him much in the way of money. As the legend goes, Pelé’s family could not even afford to buy a ball for him, so he stuffed socks and molded them into the shape of a ball to kick around.

Basic facts

Birth: 1940 Death: 2022 Country: Brazil Position: Forward

Santos FC (1956-1974) New York Cosmos (1975-1977)

Club football: 694 matches, 650 goals National team: 92 matches, 77 goals

Early career

Although he continued to struggle financially in São Paulo, working a variety of jobs to help his family, the young Pelé found his true talent on the field. Under the tutelage of his father and a former national team player named Waldemar de Brito, Pelé began to mature as a player on the Bauru Athletic Club juniors. Coach de Brito recognized his ability and recommended him for a tryout with Santos FC. The team’s management agreed with de Brito’s assessment and signed Pelé in June 1956. A mere three months later, Pelé scored a goal in his debut match. Although few people knew it at the time, this foreshadowed the success to come in the rest of Pelé’s professional career.

Stardom of a youngster

Only a short year later, Pelé topped the list of scorers in the league. His performance, at the tender age of 17, caught the attention of the national team. He would not disappoint. In his first appearance on the world stage, he scored key goals in both the semifinal and the final match of the 1958 World Cup to win it for Brazil . At this point, he had achieved superhero status in Brazil and became a household name around the world. The Brazilian government honored him as a “national treasure,” which elevated his status at home, but also prevented him from taking advantage of offers a broad.

Struggle with injuries

On an individual level, the next two World Cups turned out disappointing due to injuries. The Brazilian side still won the tournament in 1962, but they fell way short in 1966 without their star player—they were eliminated in the group stage. During this era, though, Pelé continued to excel on his club team, Santos. Consistently a top scorer, he often faced teams who had altered their play specifically to deal with the threat he posed. Despite this, he still managed to score 60 goals in the 1964 season and 101 goals the year after that.

Retirement and comeback

By the time 1970 rolled around, Pelé had reportedly decided to hang up his hat and leave while he was on top. However, he was eventually coaxed into playing one last World Cup for Brazil in Mexico on what many consider as the best team in history. Pelé contributed to Brazil’s tournament win with goals and several important assists, earning himself the Golden Ball award for his play. Pelé continued with the Brazilian team for about another year, finally calling it quits in 1971. A few years after that, he said goodbye to his fans at Santos, too. His days as a player were still not over, though.

Late career

Although he had long said that he would only ever play for Santos, he could not resist answering the call from the New York Cosmos in 1975. The North American Soccer League (NASL) represented a significant step down in terms of the level of play that Pelé was accustomed to. The burgeoning league benefitted greatly from this ambassador of the game, though, and ticket sales rose. The American public, largely unfamiliar with the game, took notice. Pelé led the Cosmos to a championship before retiring for good, an event marked by an exhibition match between his adoptive New York team and Santos.

Legacy and life after the football career

At the time of his retirement in 1977, Pelé had amassed a series of seemingly unbreakable records. He had racked up a total of 1,283 goals in 1,363 matches, making him the top scorer in Brazilian national team history and FIFA history. Just as impressively, he managed to pull off 92 hat-tricks. He also set a record for the most FIFA World Cup wins for an individual, with three medals to his name. His early years should not be overlooked, though. The young Pelé burned bright, becoming the youngest player to score a hat-trick and the youngest player to score in a World Cup final match. Retirement saw “O Rei” go on to campaign for a variety of causes, including poverty reduction, anti-corruption movements, and environmental protection. He also received an honorary knighthood, served as the Minister of Sport in Brazil, and assumed the role of a UNICEF Goodwill ambassador. Of course, he never stopped promoting the game throughout the world, including FIFA events and Olympic ceremonies. Perhaps most memorable of all, he popularized the phrase “the beautiful game” as shorthand for the game he loved so much. Generations of enthusiasts have imagined themselves playing with the grace and beauty of “The Black Pearl.” He could strike the ball with astonishing accuracy or flick it off to a teammate through a thick web of defenders’ legs. His iconic goal-scoring bicycle kick in Belgium in 1968 sent young players from all over rushing outside for hours of painful practice. What dazzled many of his fellow players was his uncanny ability to work his way out of almost any situation with sheer skill. For those who have wondered about the origin of the name “Pelé,” the answer proves elusive. Some have claimed that it came from Pelé’s poor pronunciation of the name of a goalie he admired named “Bilé.” According to this version of events, his teammates half-mockingly gave him the name “Pelé” and he could not shake it. Pelé himself has never given a definitive account of how he got the name. In fact, he claimed he never cared for it much. Like so much else in this superstar’s life, though, the magic lies not in minute biographical details or trivia, but in the legacy that Pelé left on the field. Pelé passed away in december 2022, at the age of 82.

By Rosa Nelson

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References: http://www.biography.com/people/pel%C3%A9-39221#more-world-cup-titles http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10874465/How-and-why-Peles-mystique-and-reputation-as-the-worlds-greatest-ever-footballer-has-been-overhyped.html http://www.goal.com/en/news/60/south-america/2010/10/21/2176031/70-facts-about-brazil-legend-pele Image source: Image sources: 1, 3 FIFA – World Cup Official Film 1970 2 Scanpix

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• Born October 23 , 1940 · Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil
• Died December 29 , 2022 · Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil (colon cancer)
• Birth name Edson Arantes do Nascimento
• The Black Pearl
• The King Pelé
• The King of Football
• Height 5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
• Simply he was, and for many people still is, the greatest football player of the world. Not a single thing was impossible for him: he won three World Cups with his National Team of Brazil (Sweden 1958, Chile 1962, Mexico 1970). He scored more than 1.200 goals during his long career (more than 1.300 official matches). He also won many national Leagues and Continental Cups ("Copa Libertadores"), with his team, the Santos Futebol Clube (of Brazilian 'São Paulo' State). In the '60s, he was nick-named "O Rei" (The King), and in the '70s, ninety-five people out of 100 knew his name. ("Wow, man, you're popular!" said Robert Redford , some years ago, after seeing Pelé give dozens of autographs in New York while he was not asked for one). In the late 1960s, when he and his team, Santos, went to Nigeria to play a few friendly matches, the ongoing civil war stopped for the duration of his visit. He finished his career in the New York Cosmos, in 1977. He later became a United Nations Ambassador and has been also Minister for Sports in his country, but, for the people who saw him make magics with his right foot, he is, now and forever, the biggest footballer in the world, and the one and only "King". - IMDb Mini Biography By: Sergio D'Afflitto <[email protected]>
• Pelé is a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Pelé is the most successful domestic league goal-scorer in football history scoring 650 goals in 694 League matches, and in total 1281 goals in 1363 games, which included unofficial friendlies and is a Guinness World Records (2004) . During his playing days, Pelé was for a period the best-paid athlete in the world. Pelé began playing for Santos F.C. at age 15 and the Brazil National Football Team at 16. During his international career, he won three FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962 and 1970, being the only player ever to do so. Pelé is the all-time leading goalscorer for Brazil with 77 goals in 92 games. At club level he is the record goalscorer for Santos F.C. , and led them to the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores (2004) . Since retiring in 1977, Pelé has been a worldwide ambassador for football and has made many acting and commercial ventures. In 2010, he was named the Honorary President of the New York Cosmos . - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tango Papa
• Spouses Marcia Cibele Aoki (July 9, 2016 - December 29, 2022) (his death) Assiria (April 30, 1994 - 2008) (divorced, 2 children) Rosemary Cholbi (February 21, 1966 - 1982) (divorced, 3 children)
• Children Jennifer Edinho Kelly Flavia Christina Sandra (deceased) Celeste Joshua
• Parents Celeste Dondinho Nascimento
• Relatives Jair (Sibling) Jorge Arantes (Aunt or Uncle) Malcolm (Grandchild) Ruby (Grandchild) Enzo (Grandchild) Ella (Grandchild) Otavio (Grandchild) Gabriel (Grandparent) Maria Lucia (Sibling)
• Juggling a soccer ball on his toes, thighs and head, without using his hands.
• The bicycle kick: throwing himself on his back while kicking a soccer ball back over his head.
• Over his entire career, he officially scored 1,284 goals in 1,363 matches. He played one game as a goalkeeper.
• He is the only player to have won three FIFA World Cup titles (1958, 1962, 1970).
• His last professional playing appearance, which took place on October 1, 1977, was played in front of a capacity crowd at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In that match, most unusually, he wore the jerseys of, and played for, both teams. He wore the jersey of his then present team, the New York Cosmos (1975-1977), for the first half of the game, and his original team, Santos (Brazil, 1956-1974) for the second half of the game. At halftime, the Cosmos retired Pelé's number 10. Pelé presented the Cosmos retirement jersey to his father, who was escorted from the stands to the field by Cosmos Captain Werner Roth .
• Played in 92 matches for Brazil and scored a remarkable 77 goals.
• In 1995, Pelé was awarded Brazil's Gold Medal for outstanding services to sport; Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso appointed him to the position of "Extraordinary Minister for Sport." During his time as Minister for Sport, he proposed legislation to reduce corruption in Brazilian football, which when passed, became known as the "Pelé law." Pelé left government in 2001 after being accused of involvement in a corruption scandal, although nothing was proven, and the charges were further denied by UNICEF. In 1997, Pelé was honored by Queen Elizabeth II as an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In 2005, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) bestowed their award for lifetime achievement on Pelé. In 2012, Pelé was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh for "significant contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes, as well as his sporting achievements," his first such honorary degree from a European university.
• I am constantly being asked about individuals. The only way to win is as a team. Football is not about one or two or three star players.
• [on players who bring football into disrepute] They don't love the game, they don't love the team.
• For many people, their memory of Gordon Banks is defined by the save he made against me in 1970. I understand why. The save was one of the best I have ever seen - in real life and in all the thousands of games I have watched since. When you are a footballer, you know straight away how well you have hit the ball. I hit that header exactly as I had hoped. Exactly where I wanted it to go. And I was ready to celebrate. But then this man, Banks, appeared in my sight, like a kind of blue phantom, is how I described him. He came from nowhere and he did something I didn't feel was possible. He pushed my header, somehow, up and over. And I couldn't believe what I saw. Even now when I watch it, I can't believe it. I can't believe how he moved so far, so fast. I scored so many goals in my life, but many people, when they meet me, always ask me about that save. While it was indeed phenomenal, my memory of Gordon is not defined by that - it is defined by his friendship. He was a kind and warm man who gave so much to people. So I am glad he saved my header - because that act was the start of a friendship between us that I will always treasure.
• People talk about the best being Pele or Diego Maradona [ Diego Maradona ], but for me the best was Alfredo Di Stéfano . Maradona was a great player, but he could not kick with his right foot and did not score goals with his head. The only time he scored an important goal with his head, it turned out he had used his hand.

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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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The Untold Story of Pele, the “Greatest Athlete of All Time”

With the death of Brazilian soccer legend Pele on December 29, 2022, many fans are reflecting on the career of arguably one of the greatest athletes ever.

Pele, a legend, was not just a soccer magician but a center of politics in Brazil during the ’60s. After winning the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, the Brazilian star drew interest from top European clubs like Juventus, Napoli, and Real Madrid.

The Brazilian government was anxious to keep Pele playing in his native country for Santos FC and declared him an “official national treasure” in 1961. Throughout his storied career, Pele certainly lived up to this title, becoming not just a star in Brazil but also across the world.

Early years

Born on October 23, 1942, in the Minas Gerais city of Tres Coracoes in Southwestern Brazil , Edson Arantes do Nascimento was nicknamed Pele by peers at school when he mispronounced the name of a Vasco da Gama player Bile, who was said was his favorite player growing up. His father was João Ramos do Nascimento, nicknamed Dondinho, a prolific goal scorer who played for Fluminense.

Dondinho was the early trainer and mentor of the future global soccer icon. Pele’s mother, Celeste Arantes, was a full-time housewife to Dondinho. She was not supportive of her child playing soccer because she felt there needed to be more emphasis on academic studies rather than on a sport. She was worried being an athlete would cause him injuries as was the case with her husband, whose professional career was limited because of these.

Pele was named Edson in honor of American inventor Thomas Edison, who pioneered electric power generation. Although his parents tried to remove the ‘i’ from his name to make it sound unique, it was hard to completely adopt ‘Edson,’ as a mistake was made on his birth certificate and the letter ‘i’ was included.

Pele’s first years playing soccer

When Pele was just six years old, his parents moved to the midwestern region of São Paulo to a town called Bauru, where Pele’s father had been playing with the Bauru Atlético Clube. It was here that Pele began playing soccer in extreme poverty , especially when his father retired in 1952. He was forced to play the game with balls made out of stockings stuffed with old newspapers or grapefruit because his father could not afford to buy him a proper soccer ball.

However, Dondinho kept instilling the skills for improvement in his son. Pele progressed through the youth ranks of Bauru Atlético Clube, and this is where Santos scout Waldemar de Brito spotted him.

Along the way during his early teens, he played futsal—indoor football, or soccer—for a team known as Radium. In his autobiography, Pele credits futsal for helping him think better on the spot.

After taking Pele to Santos in 1956, De Brito told officials that the fifteen-year-old would be “the greatest [soccer] player in the world.” This was almost two years after Brazil had been eliminated in the quarter-final stage of the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland by Hungary in “The Battle of Berne.”

Pele debuted for Santos in a 7-1 thrashing of Corinthians de Santo André in which he scored the first goal. In 1957 when he was handed a place in the starting lineup at age sixteen, he was the league’s top scorer with seventeen goals. His performance earned him a call-up to the national team by coach Vincente Feola for the 1958 edition staged in Sweden.

Pele during the 1958 FIFA World Cup

This came exactly eight years after Brazil was defeated by Uruguay on home soil in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition. Four years later in Switzerland, A Seleção got eliminated in the quarter-final stage in the Battle of Berne.

The seventeen-year-old Pele missed the first two group-stage matches against Austria and England. The match against England was the first in the history of the World Cup to end goalless. Pele played the last group game against the Soviet Union which The Seleção won 2-0, but it was in the quarter-final against Wales that he opened his scoring account.

He stepped up in the sixty-sixth minute in Ullevi Stadium to score the only goal of the match and send Brazil to the semi-final. With the brilliant volley, Pele, at seventeen years old, became the youngest goal scorer at the FIFA World Cup.

In the semifinal match played at Råsunda Stadium, Pele scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 win against France as Vava and Dida scored the other two. Just Fontaine and Roger Piantoni were on the score sheet for The Blues.

O Canarinho met the hosts Sweden in the final on June 29, 1958 in Solna, Sweden. The hosts had knocked out West Germany. Brazil replicated the semifinal score line, and Pele bagged a brace.

His first goal was a beauty to watch as the seventeen-year-old took control of the ball inside the penalty area, chipped it over a defender, and smashed it passed the goalkeeper. His second goal was a brilliant header in the ninetieth minute. To this date, Pele is the only player to score in the World Cup final before turning eighteen years old.

Pele was named the best young player of the tournament. He was the second joint top goal scorer with six goals. This was the first World Cup tournament to be internationally televised.

1962 World Cup in Chile

Playing against Pele was the hardest task any player of that time could face. No one could stop him, and he was unpredictable. Most defenders resorted to fouling him to limit his aggressiveness.

At the 1962 tournament staged in Chile, Brazil retained the trophy, but Pele played only two matches. The first group game against Mexico in which he scored the second goal in the 2-0 win at Estadio Sausalito, and the second match was against Czechoslovakia. It ended in a goalless draw, and Pele was injured.

During Pele’s absence, it was Garrincha who stepped up to inspire The Little Canary. Along with Vava, Garrincha scored four goals at the tournament, and his Botafogo teammate, Amarildo, scored three. Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia 3-1 at Estadio Nacional in Santiago.

1966 World Cup England

Although Brazil bowed out in the group stage in the 1966 World Cup tournament in England, Pele became the first player to score in three successive World Cup editions when he scored a stunning freekick against Bulgaria in the first match. Due to persistent fouls by the Bulgarians, Pele was unable to play in the next match against Hungary as a result of injury, and Brazil suffered a 3-1 loss at Goodison Park in Liverpool.

In the last group match against Portugal, Portuguese fullback Joao Morais infamously became the man of the day when he double-fouled the Brazilian star, causing an injury to his knee. Pele had to be subbed due to the injury.

Although the fouls were deliberate, English referee George McCabe allowed Morais to stay on the field without being booked. In 2010, The Telegraph included this among the ten worst refereeing errors in the history of the tournament.

Following a series of intentional fouls even from the previous tournament, Pele was so emotionally and physically affected that he vowed never to play in the World Cup again.

This was a time when cards were not in use in soccer, but after this incident and the persistent fouls against Pele in the first match against Bulgaria, the soccer governing body introduced yellow/red cards four years later.

1970 World Cup Mexico

The Brazilian squad returned home in 1966 due to the political quagmire in the country. Getting to the 1970 World Cup, Brazil appointed Mario Zagallo to replace João Saldanha. Zagallo was a former squad member of the 1958 and 1962 World Cup-winning teams.

Brazil beat Czechoslovakia, England, and Romania 4-1, 1-0, and 3-2, respectively, to top group three. They defeated Peru 4-2 in the quarter-final at Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara and registered a 3-1 victory over Uruguay in the semifinal to meet Italy in the final.

In the final played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 21, 1970, Brazil scored four goals past Italy and clung to a defensive system. En route to the final, Brazil won all the matches with a goal difference of three or more. Pele opened the scoring inside the first eighteen minutes, and the other three goals for Brazil were scored by Gerson, Jairzinho, and Carlos Alberto. Roberto Boninsegna scored the only goal for Italy.

This Brazilian team is still widely hailed as the best team ever. It was the first World Cup in which Pele played in every game and was named the tournament’s Best Player. Furthermore, it was also the first World Cup to be televised in color live. Pele holds the record for most World Cup trophies as a player who has played in all the first three triumphant campaigns by Brazil.

Pele’s legacy and final years

During an interview with FIFA in 2020, Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning captain said:

Pele revolutionized [soccer]. Pele stopped a war. Pele united countries, united families. There was no race problem, or language problem. I was born in 1970. In 2002, I became a world champion. I was captain. I had the honor of receiving the World Cup Trophy from no less than whom? Pele! Man! If I say any more I’ll cry. It’s really emotional!

Pele was appointed as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 1994. In January 1995, he was also appointed as the Extraordinary Minister of Sports in Brazil by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. During his term, many measures were taken to curb corruption in local soccer associations with the introduction of the Pele law, but he resigned in 1998.

Pele was hospitalized on November 29, 2022 at Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in São Paulo. A medical report indicated that he had suffered cardiac and renal dysfunction. Pele had been battling colon cancer since September 2021. He passed away on Thursday, December 29, 2022.

Pele’s lasting legacy in the world of soccer is immense. He was the only soccer player to win the World Cup three times and remains Brazil’s joint-top goal scorer with seventy-seven goals in ninety-two games. At the club level, he scored 643 goals for Santos FC, making him the highest goal-scorer in the club’s history.

FIFA recognized Pele as “the greatest” soccer player ever, a sentiment shared by many fans. He was also included in the Time list of the one hundred most influential people of the twentieth century and named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. Pele scored a total of 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, a feat recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records .

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