A member of three Brazilian World Cup-champion teams, Pelé is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time. In his time, he was probably the most famous and best-paid athlete in the world.
Pele was born in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais on October 23, 1940. Edson Arantes do Nascimento is his full name. His family called him “Dico.”
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 is a global ambassador for soccer and other humanitarian causes.
Pele won the hearts of billions of people all over the world with his amazing football skills. Many football (soccer) fans have dubbed him the first-ever global football celebrity, as well as the first footballer to be hailed the greatest of all time. In addition to public adulation, Pele won several titles at the international and club levels. He also received many individual honors.
Pele’s father was a professional footballer. Pele grew up in poverty and bolstered his income by working as a servant in tea cafes. His father taught him some football skills, and he played for many amateur teams in his youth.
Pele joined the Santos football academy when he was 15 years old. Pele’s talent drew the attention of Santos FC coach Lula, who signed him to a professional contract in June 1956. He scored the first goal in Santos’ 7-1 win over Corinthians on his professional debut. Pele astonished everyone with a spectacular performance in his very first match and the rest is history.
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 erupted to score 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, and 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 around the world.
Pele had planned to retire from the national team after the 1966 World Cup, but he changed his mind and competed in the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Brazil won the FIFA World Cup for the third time, overcoming Italy 4-1 in the final. Pele scored a goal in the final, giving him a total of four goals in the tournament. After winning the 1970 tournament in Mexico, Brazil was allowed to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy forever according to FIFA rules.
Pele appeared in 92 international matches for Brazil, scoring 77 goals from 1957 to 1971. He was a three-time FIFA World Cup winner but never won a South American Championship (Copa America). Pele played with Santos for 18 seasons and scored 501 goals in 493 games. With Santos, he won six Brazilian leagues and 19 other championships.
Pele received several individual awards, including FIFA World Cup Best Young Player (1958), FIFA World Cup Golden Ball (1970), and South American Championship Best Player (1959). Together with Maradona, Pele was named FIFA Player of the Century.
After retiring from football in 1977, Pelé concentrated on using his fame to work for causes he believed in, ranging from world peace to international children’s rights and poverty alleviation.
In 1994 Pelé was appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, a role that recognizes people that wield incredible influence to contribute to world peace and security by promoting international collaboration.
For all his humanitarian work around the world, UNESCO awarded Pelé with the ‘Children in Need’ Award in 2012.
The same year, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of Edinburgh in recognition of his lifetime achievements.
Pele’s Notable Football Records
Pele has a long list of accomplishments. Recent sensations Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have lately surpassed several of his records. However, he still has a few remarkable records.
1) Youngest World Cup winner: Pele became the youngest player to win the World Cup after Brazil won the trophy in 1958.
2) Brazil’s top goal scorer: Pele is the all-time leading scorer for Brazil with 77 international goals. Neymar is now in second place With 69 goals.
3) The player with the most assists in the history of the World Cup: Pele holds the record for the most assists in World Cup history. Pele had a total of ten assists at the World Cup finals.
4) Most assists in a single World Cup: Pele holds the World Cup record for most assists in a single tournament. In 1970 World Cup, he had seven assists.
5) Most World Cup triumphs: Pele is the only player to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962, and 1970)
6) The youngest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match: Pele became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match when he smacked three goals against France in the 1958 World Cup semifinal.
7) Most goals in a career: Pele set a Guinness World Record by scoring 1283 goals in 1363 games (including unofficial matches).
Pele was without a doubt the most popular footballer of his time. What’s more astonishing is that he still remains popular despite retiring over four decades ago. It shows how outstanding a footballer Pele was at the time. Pele’s international achievements are still unrivaled. His goal-scoring stats are absolutely incredible. There will always be debates over who is the greatest player of all time, but no one can deny his contribution to the globalization of football. Therefore, Pele will always be remembered as the first player to be dubbed the greatest of all time in football.
Source and References: Britannica, Biography, Pele Foundation
Freelance Writer
