Pelé

Brazilian footballer (1940-2022) · Brazil · Footballers · Died at 82

Pelé is read about 8,698 times a day, in 149 languages.

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Three World Cups before he turned thirty. The only player to pull that off, and he did it starting at seventeen - still the youngest to win one. 1,279 goals across 1,363 games, a Guinness record that doubles as the reason "The Beautiful Game" stuck.

Footballers Football / Soccer Player Soccer Politics Movies Classical Music Brazil

A life in dates

2022Died29 December 2022“[On his unpublicized work as a songwriter.] I didn't want the public to make the comparison between Pele the composer and Pele the footballer.”In their words21 May 2022Alex Bellos "He sings, he scores" The Guardian (21 May 2022)Read the whole statement

2020Ballon d'Or Dream TeamAward2018FWA Tribute AwardAward2009Distinguished Guest of Mexico CityAwardLlaves de la Ciudad de MexicoAward2006“Bobby Moore - he defended like a lord. Let me tell you about this man.”In their words27 May 2006Interviewed by Lee Clayton, "Welcome into Pelé's World" in Daily Mail [England] (27 May 2006)Read the whole statement

2005BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement AwardAward2000Laureus Lifetime Achievement AwardAward1999“Every kid around the world who plays soccer wants to be Pelé. I have a great responsibility to show them not just how to be like a soccer player, but how to be like a man.”In their words1 June 1999Quoted in "SI Flashback: Soccer's greatest genius" Sports Illustrated, (1 June 1999)Read the whole statement

1997Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British EmpireAwardMarca LeyendaAward1995Minister of Sports of BrazilOffice1995-19981984FIFA Order of MeritAward1980“I was born for soccer, just as Beethoven was born for music.”In their wordsQuoted in Parton Keese, The measure of greatness (1980)Read the whole statement

1975Officer of the Order of Ouissam AlaouiteAwardNew York CosmosClub1975-19771973Honorary Citizen of BaltimoreAward1970World Cup Golden BallAward1967Order of Rio BrancoAward1963Knight of the Legion of HonourAward1957Brazil men's national football teamClub1957-19711956“When I was a professional footballer at Santos [where he played from 1956-74] there was a lot of time hanging around team hotels doing nothing.”In their wordsRead the whole statement

Santos F.C.Club1956-19741953Bauru Atlético ClubeClub1953-19561940Born23 October 1940

Also in Deutsch

Photos 12

Pelé with Santos in the Netherlands in October 1962. By this time, he was ranked as the best football player in the world.[27]

Pelé before facing Boca Juniors in the second leg of the 1963 Copa Libertadores Finals at La Bombonera

1969 Brazil postage stamp commemorating Pelé's 1,000th goal

Pelé entering the field to play his first game with the Cosmos on 15 June 1975

Carlos Alberto comforting Pelé after his farewell match with the Cosmos on 1 October 1977

A 17-year-old Pelé cries on the shoulder of goalkeeper Gilmar after Brazil wins the 1958 World Cup final.

In their own words 8

Pelé

8 statements, newest first

[On his unpublicized work as a songwriter.] I didn't want the public to make the comparison between Pele the composer and Pele the footballer.
May 21, 2022, Alex Bellos "He sings, he scores" The Guardian (21 May 2022), Own words
Bobby Moore - he defended like a lord. Let me tell you about this man.
May 27, 2006, Interviewed by Lee Clayton, "Welcome into Pelé's World" in Daily Mail [England] (27 May 2006), Own words
Every kid around the world who plays soccer wants to be Pelé. I have a great responsibility to show them not just how to be like a soccer player, but how to be like a man.
Jun 1, 1999, Quoted in "SI Flashback: Soccer's greatest genius" Sports Illustrated, (1 June 1999), Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Teams 4

New York Cosmos1975-1977

Brazil men's national football team1957-1971

Santos F.C.1956-1974

Bauru Atlético Clube1953-1956

Career record

SpellAppsGoals

1975-197765111

1957-19719277

1956-1974659643

Awards

Ballon d'Or Dream Team2020

FWA Tribute Award2018

Silver Olympic Order2016

Distinguished Guest of Mexico City2009

Llaves de la Ciudad de Mexico2009

FIFA Presidential Award2007

BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award2005

Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award2000

FIFA Player of the Century2000

Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire1997

Marca Leyenda1997

National Order of Merit1991

FIFA Order of Merit1984

Officer of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite1975

Honorary Citizen of Baltimore1973

South American Footballer of the Year1973

BBC World Sport Star of the Year1970

World Cup Golden Ball1970

Order of Rio Branco1967

Knight of the Legion of Honour1963

Family

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Pelé

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About this person

Edson Arantes do Nascimento joined Santos at fifteen and Brazil's national team at sixteen. The 1958 World Cup made him O Rei - The King - and he added titles in 1962 and 1970, a three-peat no one else has matched. At Santos he scored 643 goals in 659 games and led the club to back-to-back Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cups in 1962 and 1963. His skill turned him into the world's highest-paid athlete for a stretch, and his teams toured internationally just to let crowds see him play. He retired in 1977 with 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil, a national record that stood for over fifty years, and spent the rest of his life as football's global ambassador until his death on 29 December 2022.

Country

Brazil

In common with Pelé

Peter FoxAlso in A Minor Miracle (1983)

Michael CaineAlso in Escape to Victory (1981)

Vincent D'OnofrioAlso in Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016)

Jimmy SmitsAlso in Hotshot (1987)

Laura CardosoAlso in O Rei Pelé (1962)

Renato AragãoAlso in Os Trapalhões e o Rei do Futebol (1986)

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