A member of three Brazilian World Cup champion teams, Pelé is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time.
Who Was Pelé?
Soccer
legend Pelé became a superstar with his performance in the 1958 World Cup. Pelé
played professionally in Brazil for two decades, winning three World Cups along
the way, before joining the New York Cosmos late in his career. Named FIFA
co-Player of the Century in 1999, he was a global ambassador for soccer and
other humanitarian causes.
Early Life
Pelé
was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações,
Brazil, the first child of João Ramos and Dona Celeste. Named after Thomas Edison
and nicknamed "Dico," Pelé moved with his family to the city of Bauru
as a young boy.
João Ramos, better known as "Dondinho," struggled to earn a living as a soccer player, and Pelé grew up in poverty. Still, he developed a rudimentary talent for soccer by kicking a rolled-up sock stuffed with rags around the streets of Bauru. The origin of the "Pelé" nickname is unclear, though he recalled despising it when his friends first referred to him that way.
Soccer's National Treasure
Pelé signed with Santos and immediately started practicing with the team's regulars. He scored the first professional goal of his career before he turned 16, led the league in goals in his first entire season,
and was recruited to play for the
Brazilian national team.
The
world was officially introduced to Pelé in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.
Displaying remarkable speed, athleticism, and field vision, the 17-year-old
scored three goals in a 5-2 semifinal win over France, then netted
two more in the finals, a 5-2 win over the host country.
The
young superstar received hefty offers to play for European clubs. Brazilian President Jânio Quadros eventually had Pelé declared a national treasure,
making it legally difficult for him to play in another country. Regardless,
Santos club ownership ensured its star attraction was well paid by scheduling
lucrative exhibition matches with teams worldwide.
Video of Pele Missed Goals
More World Cup Titles
Pelé
aggravated a groin injury two games into the 1962 World Cup in Chile, sitting
out the final rounds while Brazil claimed its second straight title.
Four years later, in England, a series of brutal attacks by opposing defenders
again forced him to the sidelines with leg injuries, and Brazil was bounced
from the World Cup after one round.
Despite
the disappointment on the world stage, the legend of Pelé continued to grow. In
the late 1960s, the two factions in the Nigerian Civil War reportedly agreed to
a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play in an exhibition game in
Lagos.
The
1970 World Cup in Mexico marked a triumphant return to glory for Pelé and
Brazil. Headlining a formidable squad, Pelé scored four goals in the
tournament, including one in the final to give Brazil a 4-1 victory over Italy.
Pelé
announced his retirement from soccer in 1974, but he was lured back to the
field the following year to play for the New York Cosmos in the North American
Soccer League and temporarily helped make the NASL a big attraction. He played
his final game in an exhibition between New York and Santos in October 1977,
competing for both sides, and retired with 1,281 goals in 1,363
games.
Later Years, Death and Legacy
Retirement
did little to diminish the public profile of Pelé, who remained a popular
pitchman and active in many professional arenas.
In
1978, Pelé was awarded the International Peace Award for his work with UNICEF.
He also served as Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport and a United
Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment.
Pelé
was named FIFA's "Co-Player of the Century" in 1999, along with
Argentine Diego Maradona. To many, his accomplishments on the soccer field will
never be equaled, and virtually all great athletes are measured
against the Brazilian who once made the world stop to watch his transcendent
play.
Pelé died on
December 29, 2022, in São Paulo, Brazil. He was 82 years old.