Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known by his nickname Pelé, born
on 23 October 1940, in Três Corações, 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 19 November 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 travelled to Nigeria, where a 48-hourcease-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 honour 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).