Pelé

Biography of Pelé

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (October 23, 1940) was born in Tres Coraçoes, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. He was a Brazilian soccer player, known as Pelé, considered by many specialists and soccer fans to be the best soccer player of all time. The son of Joao Ramos do Nascimento and Celeste Arantes, he has sisters Zeca Nascimento and Maria Lúcia Nascimento; he grew up in a moderately well-off family, his father was a professional soccer player at Fluminense, and he showed an interest in soccer from a young age. His ball handling was exceptional. Pelé was rejected by several Brazilian soccer clubs, but he kept trying until he was accepted and made his debut for the Santos of São Paulo in the late 1950s. While training, Pelé made a living as a shoe-shiner.

 

Professional career

After trying to join a team for several years, he was accepted in 1956 and was signed by the Santos of São Paulo. During his time with Santos, Pelé showed his skills and excellent ball handling, giving everything he had in each game and enjoying every play, leaving the audience in awe. He was then called “The Black Pearl,” a nickname he received for his physical appearance and skills. Pelé was a corpulent player with a great shot. Pelé played for Santos Football from 1956 to 1974, during which he won ten Campeonatos Paulistas, two Intercontinental Cups, four Torneos Río-São Paulo, two Copa Libertadores, one Supercopa de Campeones Intercontinentales, and six Brazilian Serie A championships with the team.

The player made his debut for the Brazilian national team at the age of seventeen, his skills already demonstrated at Santos shining through in the key World Cup match held in Sweden in 1958. The final was between the Swedish and Brazilian national teams, and the final score was 5-2, with Brazil winning. In the match, Pelé scored 2 of the 5 goals, in the 55th and 90th minute. This was the start of Pelé’s participation in World Cup championships, in which he surprised with his “beautiful game,” skill, speed, agility, and accuracy that characterized the performances of the soccer legend. In the first World Cup he participated in, Pelé scored a goal against Wales, leading Brazil to the semifinals against France. The match was held on June 24, 1958, and during it Pelé scored 3 goals in the 52nd, 64th, and 75th minutes, with the match ending in a 5-2 win for Brazil, leading them to the final, where they were crowned World Cup champions. When Pelé returned from Sweden, he was already a legend in Brazilian soccer.

In 1961, he received the nickname “O Rei” (The King) from a French newspaper, and this nickname and all references to his ball handling were increased by the player’s spectacular career since the World Cup, leading the Brazilian national team to the World Cups in 1962 and 1970, in Chile and Mexico, respectively. In the World Cup in Chile, Pelé scored a goal against the Mexican national team in the match held on May 30, 1962; the team then reached the final, where they faced Czechoslovakia, winning 3-1. In the 1970 World Cup held in Mexico, the Brazilian national team was in Group 3, their first match was against Czechoslovakia, and they won 4-1, with Pelé scoring one of the goals; in the last match of the first phase, Brazil won 3-2 against Romania, with two goals from the legend. The final of the World Cup was between the Italian and Brazilian national teams, the latter winning 4-1, with goals scored by Pelé, Gerson, Jairzinho, and Carlos Alberto. By winning these three World Cups, the Brazilian national team earned the first Jules Rimet Cup trophy.

In 1975, Pelé moved to the United States, settling in New York, where he was signed by the Cosmos; he remained with the team until 1977, when he won a title in the North American Soccer League. After a long and successful career, Pelé bid farewell to the soccer scene on October 1, 1977. According to player statistics, he scored 1,284 goals during his career. In 1978, he received the International Peace Prize and two years later, the Athlete of the Century award (1980). After leaving sports, Pelé began working as an actor, with notable performances including his role in the feature film Escape to Victory (1981). He also ventured into music, composing songs, some of which were included in the soundtrack of the film Pelé (1977). In 1995, he was appointed Minister of Sports in Brazil, during which time he tried to change legislation related to contracts between clubs and players, known as the Pelé Law. His influence on the world of soccer has not diminished, and he remains the soccer legend of the 20th century.

 

Death of Pelé

Soccer legend Pelé passed away on December 29, 2022 at the age of 82 at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in São Paulo, Brazil, after a long battle with colon cancer. The former player had been diagnosed with this illness in September 2021, and his health had worsened in December 2022. However, Pelé sent a message through social media to reassure his followers: “I am strong, full of hope, and continuing my treatment as always. I want to thank all the medical and nursing team for all the care I have received.” Despite medical care, doctors reported “progression” of the cancer and kidney dysfunction in the final days of December. Pelé died in a common hospital room. His death has been felt as a great loss by the world of soccer and by millions of fans around the world.

 

Pelé’s Honors

• FIFA World Cup: 1958, 1962, and 1970.
• Copa Libertadores: 1962 and 1963.
• Intercontinental Cup: 1962 and 1963.
• Intercontinental Recopa: 1968.
• Campeonato Paulista: 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, and 1973.
• Torneo Río-São Paulo: 1959, 1963, 1964, and 1966.
• Brazilian Serie A Championship: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, and 1968.
• Silver Cup: 1973.
• NASL: 1977.