Pelé

About Pelé

The ball rolled into the net at the Rasunda Stadium in Sweden. It was June 1958, and a seventeen-year-old Brazilian boy had just won the FIFA World Cup. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to the world as Pelé, became the youngest player ever to lift the trophy.

Pelé was born on October 23, 1940, in Brazil. He joined Santos at just fifteen years old and made his debut for the Brazilian national team at sixteen. The world would never be the same.

After that 1958 World Cup victory, he earned the nickname O Rei—The King. He won the World Cup twice more, in 1962 and 1970, becoming the only player in history to claim three titles. No one has matched that record since.

His goal tally was staggering. Pelé scored 1,279 goals across 1,363 games, a Guinness World Record that stands today. For Brazil alone, he netted 77 goals in 92 appearances, holding the national team's top scorer record for over fifty years.

At Santos, he became a legend. He scored 643 goals in 659 games for the club. Between 1962 and 1963, he led Santos to back-to-back Copa Libertadores titles and consecutive Intercontinental Cups. Those years defined an era.

By 1999, the International Olympic Committee named him Athlete of the Century. Time magazine included him among the 100 most important people of the 20th century. In 2000, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics voted him World Player of the Century. He shared the FIFA Player of the Century award with Diego Maradona.

Pelé remained one of the most successful and popular sports figures of his time. His influence stretched far beyond the pitch. On December 29, 2022, he passed away, leaving behind a legacy that will never be forgotten.