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Pele, also known as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was born in Três Coraçes, Brazil, on October 23, 1940. FIFA dubbed him “the greatest”.

The 82-year-old hero who is undergoing treatment for a colon tumor, has been receiving regular chemotherapy since being given the all-clear from colon cancer last year.

Since the beginning of his era, the Brazilian football player has been one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. He is a national treasure. The football player was a member of numerous Brazilian national teams that participated in the 1958, 1962, and 1970 World Cups and won three titles. Here we bring all the information about Pele biography.

Who is Pele?

Pelé, a legendary soccer player, shot to fame with his World Cup performance in 1958. Before signing up with the New York Cosmos toward the end of his career, Pelé spent twenty years playing professionally in Brazil, winning three World Cups in the process. As co-Player of the Century for FIFA in 1999, he represents soccer and other humanitarian causes around the world.

Pele Early Life

The first child of Joo Ramos and Dona Celeste, Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940 in Três Coraçes, Brazil. Pelé, who goes by the moniker “Dico,” was born in the city of Bauru and received his name from Thomas Edison.

Pelé grew raised in poverty, while Joo Ramos, better known as “Dondinho,” struggled to make a life as a soccer player. Nevertheless, by kicking a rolled-up sock filled with rags around the streets of Bauru, he discovered a basic ability for soccer. The origin of the moniker “Pelé” is unknown, but he remembered hating it when his friends initially nicknamed him that.

If we see Pele biography, when he was teenage, Pelé joined a youth team managed by former Brazilian national soccer team player Waldemar de Brito. When Pelé was 15 years old, De Brito persuaded his family to allow him to leave home and try out for the Santos professional soccer club.

Personal life and Pele biography

Pele, a Brazilian football player, has been married three times and has fathered a number of kids. In the 1970s, the authoritarian Brazilian looked into Pele. He was suspected by the government of sympathizing with imprisoned left-wing political figures.

Pele continued to promote football and sports in general when he retired. In 1992, Pelé was chosen to serve as a UN ambassador for ecology and the environment.

Pele has also been named a goodwill ambassador for UNESCO. The football player is not only one of the most talented players of his generation, but also a nice guy who made good use of his notoriety and status.

The national treasure of soccer

After joining Santos, Pelé immediately began working out with the team’s regulars. Before he was 16, he scored his first professional goal, and in his first full season, he led the league in goals. He was then drafted to play for the Brazilian national team.

Pelé made his public debut during the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. The 17-year-old scored three goals in a 5-2 semifinal victory against France before adding two more in a 5-2 victory over the host nation. He displayed exceptional speed, athleticism, and field vision throughout the tournament.

Young superstar received substantial offers to play for European clubs, and Brazilian President Jânio Quadros ultimately had Pelé labeled a national treasure, making it legally challenging for him to play in another nation. The Santos club’s management nevertheless scheduled lucrative exhibition games with clubs from around the world to make sure its star draw was well compensated.

His Debut

At the age of 16, Pelé made his debut for Brazil against Argentina in a 1-2 loss at the Maracana. At 16 years and 9 months old, he became the youngest player to score for Brazil when he scored on his debut.

Rise to Glory of Pele biography

The 1958 FIFA World Cup was where Pelé’s skill was first recognized by the footballing world. He earned a hat-trick against France in the semifinals before helping Sweden defeat the host nation 5-2 with a handful of goals.

Four years later, Brazil won the World Cup again, but Pelé missed the opening few games due to injury. Pelé’s injuries sustained as a result of numerous violent assaults made the 1966 FIFA World Cup a letdown for both Brazil and the nation as a whole. Brazil lost in the group stage and was eliminated.

In 1970, Pelé came back for one final attempt at the World Cup and joined forces with rising players like Jairzinho and Rivelino to win Brazil’s third World Cup. In the final 14 games of his World Cup career, Pelé scored 12 goals.

Club Career

Pelé became the club’s all-time leading scorer after joining Santos, the Brazilian team. He also guided them to the Copa Libertadores championships in 1962 and 1963.

Numerous European clubs made offers to the superstar, but because Brazilian President Jânio Quadros deemed him a national treasure, it was difficult for him to pursue his career abroad. Pelé made the NASL a popular sport in 1975 by signing a $7 million contract with the New York Cosmos for a year.

More World Cup Titles

The 1962 World Cup in Chile saw Pelé miss the semifinals after aggravating a groin ailment. Brazil went on to win the tournament for the second time in a row. Brazil was eliminated from the World Cup after one round four years later in England due to a series of vicious attacks by opposing defenders that once more sent him to the sidelines with leg injuries.

The reputation of Pelé grew despite the setback on the international stage. In order to watch Pelé play in an exhibition game in Lagos, the two groups in the Nigerian Civil War purportedly agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire in the late 1960s.

Brazil and Pelé made a spectacular comeback to success at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Leading a strong team, Pelé scored four goals throughout the competition, including one in the championship game that helped Brazil defeat Italy 4-1.

When Pelé declared his retirement from soccer in 1974, the NASL was not yet a popular league. However, Pelé was persuaded to return the following year to play for the New York Cosmos. In an exhibition game between New York and Santos in October 1977, he played his final match while representing both teams. He finished his career with 1,281 goals throughout 1,363 appearances.

Later Years and Legacy

Pelé continued to be a well-liked spokesperson and engaged in a variety of professional sectors after retirement, which had no impact on his public status.

For his efforts with UNICEF, Pelé received the International Peace Award in 1978. Additionally, he has held positions as Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport and a UN environmental ambassador.

Together with Diego Maradona of Argentina, Pelé was voted FIFA’s “Co-Player of the Century” in 1999. His achievements on the soccer field are unmatched by many, and almost all great sportsmen in the sport are compared to the Brazilian who once caused people to pause and watch his transcendent play.

Records of Pele in Numbers

Pelé won the FIFA World Cup at the age of 17, making him the sport’s youngest champion.

In the Guinness Book of World Records, Pelé holds two titles. He is the only football player to have three World Cup victories. The most goals scored in a football career was the second record. Throughout 1,363 games, he scored 1,283 goals in his career.

In his career, Pelé has scored a record-breaking 92 hat tricks.

Retirement

In 1974, Pelé first declared his retirement from football, but in 1975, he came back to play with the New York Cosmos. In a match between New York and Santos in October 1977, he participated for both teams and played in his final exhibition game.

Pelé served as Brazil’s Minister of Sport from 1995 to 1998 after his retirement. He represents soccer and other humanitarian causes all across the world.

10 interesting facts about Pelé 

The man, the myth, the legend

You know who Pelé is even if you weren’t alive when he last laced up a football boot in rage. Although the greatest footballer of all time has been retired for 40 years, his accomplishments live on.

Everyone has seen the objectives. We’ve seen the black-and-white footage of a teenager taking away the world’s finest defenders. We’ve also seen hazy technicolor footage of a player at the pinnacle of his abilities, guiding one of the greatest football teams of all time to another World Cup victory.

We dug deeper into the Brazilian superstar’s career to offer you some lesser-known facts of Pele biography.

He was named after Thomas Edison

Pelé was named after Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb. In his brief career, Edson “Pelé” Arantes do Nascimento demonstrated a great deal of inventiveness and lit up many a football surface with his skills.

A promise to his father

Pelé witnessed his father grieving when Brazil lost the World Cup final to Uruguay in 1950. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll win it one day.” That’s self-assurance!

He scored four goals on his debut

Pelé joined Santos at the age of 15 and scored four goals on his debut against FC Corinthians. That is one method of rewarding the scout’s faith.

Goals, goals, goals

The Brazil and Santos forward was not content with only one goal. He had 92 hat tricks, four goals on 31 occasions, five goals on six occasions, and eight goals in a single game. If only there had been Fantasy Football back then.

He’s the only player to win 3 World Cups

Pelé is the only player to have been a member of three World Cup-winning teams. Coincidence? We don’t think so. This record is a big achievement of Pele biography. 

He’s a national treasure

No, seriously, he’s a national treasure. In 1961, the Brazilian government named him a national hero in order to discourage foreign football clubs from recruiting him.

What’s in a name?

Pelé received his moniker from mispronouncing the Brazilian goalkeeper’s name, Bilé, as Pelé. To taunt him, one of his students began calling him “Pelé,” and the moniker stuck. We’re pretty sure his classmate didn’t win three World Cups, so Pelé had the last laugh.

19 November is Pelé Day

Pelé scored his 1000th goal on November 19, 1969, and the day became known simply as Pelé Day in Santos. To be fair, we wouldn’t mind if the legend had his own day.

His father was a footballer

His father was also a footballer known as Dondinho, who was famous for scoring five headed goals in a single game. Pelé came close to scoring four headed goals against Botafogo, but his father accomplished at least one footballing feat that his son did not.

From the pitch to the government

Pelé moved from the field to the government, serving as Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister of Sport from 1995 to 1998. He was also a United Nations ambassador for Ecology and Environment. We’re not sure what his qualifications were, but we’d hire him without hesitation. After all, he is Pelé.

Pele Best Quotes

• “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”
• “Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string.”
• “If you don’t give education to people, it is easy to manipulate them.”
• “The bicycle kick is not easy to do.”
• “A penalty is a cowardly way to score.”
• “Sport is something that is very inspirational for young people.”
• “I always had a philosophy which I got from my father. He used to say, ‘Listen. God gave to you the gift to play football. This is your gift from God. If you take care of your health, if you are in good shape all the time, with your gift from God no one will stop you, but you must be prepared.'”
• “The bicycle kick is not easy to do. I scored 1,283 goals, and only two or three were bicycle kicks.”
• “At 17, I already had responsibility because I took care of my family, but in the football I was young; I wasn’t experienced or the captain – I was just in the team.”
• “All my life I thank God. My family was very religious.”
• “When I was minister of sport in Brazil, I tried to bring in a law that would make the chairmen of clubs reveal their accounts like other businesses. It was turned down, but I think it is an important story that will make a good film.”
• “I played for Santos at 16, and we had an excellent team, so it helped a lot. And then I played for Brazil at the Maracana against Argentina. So I get more experience. This was one year before the World Cup, and it made a lot of difference.”
• “When you play against dirty players or very tough players, it’s easy to escape because you know what they’re going to do. But when the player is tough but intelligent, it’s much more difficult.”
• “When you are young, you do a lot of stupid things.”
• “When I retired, at that time I had a lot of proposals to play in Europe, England, Italy, Spain, Mexico. But I said no, after 18 years I want to rest, because I want to retire.”