Pele is one of the most famous and beloved athletes of all time. He is a football legend who has earned the nickname “The King of Football” for his incredible accomplishments on and off the pitch. Throughout his career, Pele has set records, won trophies, and inspired millions of people around the world. From his humble beginnings as a Brazilian footballer to becoming a global icon, Pele’s story is one of determination, dedication, and drive. “The King Pele” is more than just a football player; he is an inspirational figure who continues to be revered in the world of sports.

Framing the achievements and contributions of Pele in a short range is quite challenging. Still, let’s take a look at the life, career, and achievements of soccer legend Pele at a glance.

Pele's Early Life

Pele was born in a slum in Tres Coracoes, Brazil, on October 23, 1940, to be precise. As the first child of a poor family, Pele had to work in a tea shop as a child to make a living for his family. In addition to sweeping the railway station, he also worked cleaning shoes for a few days. Pele's full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. His parents named him after the world-famous scientist Thomas Alva Edison.

His father, Dondinho, was a professional footballer who played for several clubs in Brazil. Growing up, Pele learned the fundamentals of soccer from his father and showed early promise as a player.

Family Life

Pele was married three times in his life. His first marriage was to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi in 1966. They had three children together, but the marriage ended in 1982. In 1994, Pele married psychologist Assíria Lemos Seixas. They had two children together, but the marriage ended in 2008. In 2016, Pele married Marcia Cibele Aoki, who is his current wife.

Early Career

He had a natural talent for football. As there was no money to buy a football, he practiced with a football made of paper inside his socks. Like many other Brazilian players, Pele’s talent emerged in street football. But by the grace of God, only 15-year-old Pele was noticed by the great Waldemar de Brito of Santos. Otherwise, his talent might have been confined to the streets. Brito took Pele from the alley to the Santos club and introduced him to Santos coach Lula, where Pele impressed the coach with his football talent. He signed a contract with Santos and made his place in the senior team on September 7, 1956, at the age of 15.

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When Pele joined Santos’ starting lineup in the 1957 season, he was 16 years old. He won the league’s top goal scorer award for Santos in the Brazilian Professional Football League. Pele’s performance in the Brazilian league was so eye-catching that it did not escape the eyes of the Brazilian government itself. That was the beginning of one of the greatest footballers of all time.

International Football Career of Pele

Pele’s international football career for Brazil began against arch-rivals Argentina, and the date was July 7, 1957. Brazil lost 2-1 to Argentina in that match, but Pele made no mistake in setting the world record in the first match. By scoring at the age of 16 years and 9 months, he achieved the record of the youngest goal scorer in the international arena. A career-high 92 hattricks, Brazil’s top goal scorer (77 goals), and 1283 goals in 1363 career matches - these statistics give little indication of his achievements.

Pele is the only player to win three World Cups; that alone makes his achievement stand out. Brazil has entered every World Cup since 1930 as a favorite. But they could not win the World Cup for 28 years before Pele arrived. After Pele’s retirement, Brazil won their next World Cup after 24 years.

Achievements like 12 goals and 10 assists in 14 matches in four World Cups, scoring in two finals, in four different World Cups made Pele the king of soccer. Let’s take a look at Pele’s contributions to the World Cup.

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World Cup 1958

At the age of just 17, Pele played in the World Cup under Brazil team. He started the World Cup with an assist in the group stage. Pele’s only goal against Wales in the quarters saw Brazil reach the semi-finals. With this goal, he became the youngest (17 years and 239 days) goal scorer in the World Cup.

Then he scored a hat trick against France in the semi-final and became the youngest (17 years and 244 days) hattrick scorer in the World Cup. He also scored two goals in the final. Pele won the Silver Ball award of that World Cup. He also won the best emerging star award of the World Cup.

World Cup 1962

In this World Cup, Pele started playing with the recognition of the best player of the time, and it was expected to be Pele’s tournament. He was on that path with an assist on the first goal against Chile and the second goal after beating four defenders. But he got injured in the match against Czechoslovakia and missed the rest of the tournament.

World Cup 1966

Brazil’s 1966 World Cup team was considered the best team in Brazil at that time. Garrincha, Gilmer, Santos, Jorgenho, Tostao, Garsen, and Pele were top players during that time. But to everyone’s disappointment, Brazil left the group stage after playing only three matches. Pele scored in the first match against Bulgaria but missed the next match with an injury due to a brutal foul by the Bulgarian defenders. Brazil lost that match against Hungary.

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World Cup 1970

Pele was not supposed to play in the 1970 World Cup. But at the beginning of 1969, Pele was brought back into the team, and in the qualifiers, he participated in 6 matches and scored 6 goals. In the World Cup, Pele mainly played as a playmaker. He scored 4 goals and 7 assists in the entire tournament, including the first goal against Italy in the final match, and won the best player award of the World Cup. By winning the World Cup in 1970, Pele grabbed the Jules Rimet cup for Brazil forever.

Pele’s Club Football Career

Pele was also outstanding in club football. Won 26 titles for the club as a team. Pele played for two clubs, Santos (1956-1974) and New York Cosmos (1975-1977), in his entire career. He became the top scorer 11 times in the club leagues.

Many people complain that Pele never played European football, which is a limitation for him. However, he has some incredible records against European Clubs. Pele scored 142 goals in 130 matches against European clubs.

Let’s highlight some of Pele’s contributions to the club in two prestigious tournaments.

Copa Libertadores

As the Champions League is for European clubs, the Copa Libertadores is for Latin clubs. Santos won the tournament in 1962 and 1963 with Pele’s magic, which started in 1960. It took another 58 years for Santos to win the title after Pele’s era. They won the next title in 2011.

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Intercontinental Cup

The Intercontinental Cup was once held solely to determine superiority between the European champions and the Latin champions. The main objective of this tournament is to select the best club of the year. Santos won the tournament twice in 1962 and 1963, and both times Pele was on the team.

In the 1962 Intercontinental Cup final, Pele led Santos to win the title by scoring a hat trick. Pele also showed his football magic in the tournament of 1963. However, Pele is the only player in Intercontinental Cup history to score a hat trick.

Notable Honors

During Pele’s era, there was no rule for awarding the Ballon d’Or to non-European players. In 2016, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or, a new list was published taking into account players who were not European until 1995. 12 changes were made to the previous 39 Ballon d’Ors. Pelé was declared the winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, and 1970. However, the names of previous players are also kept for honor.

Notable Records and Recognitions

Pele is one of the most renowned and successful football players of all time and has achieved a multitude of extraordinary records and recognitions. He is a three-time World Cup champion and the only player to win the World Cup three times. He scored 1,283 goals in 1,363 matches, making him the most career goal scorer of all time. He was named FIFA Player of the Century in 2000 and is the only player to be a part of three World Cup winning teams. He is also the only player to appear in four World Cup tournaments.

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In addition to these achievements, Pele was named a UN ambassador, and he was awarded Brazil’s highest honor, the Order of Merit, in 1991. He was also inducted into the American National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1992. He was designated a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 1994 and has received numerous other awards throughout his career.

Death

Pele was sick for a long time. There were many health problems due to his age, and colon cancer made it worst over the years. Pele fought cancer for a few years, but age was not in his favor. But despite fighting cancer, he finally gave up and passed away on December 29, 2022, at the age of 82.

Final Words

Pele is a true legend of football, and his accomplishments are unparalleled. He is one of the most iconic and revered football players of all time. Pele will be remembered by the billions of soccer fans around the world. His remarkable records and recognition will never be forgotten.

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