Pele, a former Brazilian footballer, is thought by many to be the greatest footballer in history. Pele is his nickname; he was born in Brazil with the given name of Edison (Edson) Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940. While his birth certificate reads that his first name is Edison, his preference is Edson, but Pele is the name that this sports legend is known by.
It's hard to even imagine football without Pele; he seems as if he was born with the sole purpose of playing football. Pele's ball control and speed are the stuff of legend and his passing skills are second to none and all his own, though often imitated. Nearly any time that Pele had the ball, amazing things would happen, thrilling fans worldwide. Pele scored an amazing career total of 1,283 goals, twelve of which were in the course of World Cup matches (in 1958, 1968 and 1970). Pele was the first player to win three World Cups.
It was Waldemar de Brito who discovered this incredible talent. de Brito started coaching Pele in 1954 and in only two years, Pele played his first professional match at the age of 16. A year later, Pele was in a starting position on Santos. He won his first World Cup at seventeen and by 1962, Pele was receiving regular offers of positions on European football teams. However, a move overseas was not in the cards for Pele - the Brazilian government declared him a national treasure, which barred his joining a foreign football club.
Pele played for the team until 1972, at which point he entered semi-retirement, playing only in especially tough games. In 1975, he came out of retirement to play for the New York Cosmos, a part of the North American League. Some said Pele was past his prime, but there is no doubt that he generated a lot of interest in the game amongst Americans and had the last laugh when he led the Cosmos to a NASL championship in 1977 during his last season.
Pele is still considered to be a national hero in his native Brazil, where his contributions to football are universally acknowledged - something also noticed by FIFA, who have named Pele the official football ambassador to the world. Pele advocates for the underprivileged as well as for the sport which made him a star. It is not for nothing that Pele is known to this day as "The King of Football" and he is a American National Soccer Hall of Fame member.
It's hard to even imagine football without Pele; he seems as if he was born with the sole purpose of playing football. Pele's ball control and speed are the stuff of legend and his passing skills are second to none and all his own, though often imitated. Nearly any time that Pele had the ball, amazing things would happen, thrilling fans worldwide. Pele scored an amazing career total of 1,283 goals, twelve of which were in the course of World Cup matches (in 1958, 1968 and 1970). Pele was the first player to win three World Cups.
It was Waldemar de Brito who discovered this incredible talent. de Brito started coaching Pele in 1954 and in only two years, Pele played his first professional match at the age of 16. A year later, Pele was in a starting position on Santos. He won his first World Cup at seventeen and by 1962, Pele was receiving regular offers of positions on European football teams. However, a move overseas was not in the cards for Pele - the Brazilian government declared him a national treasure, which barred his joining a foreign football club.
Pele played for the team until 1972, at which point he entered semi-retirement, playing only in especially tough games. In 1975, he came out of retirement to play for the New York Cosmos, a part of the North American League. Some said Pele was past his prime, but there is no doubt that he generated a lot of interest in the game amongst Americans and had the last laugh when he led the Cosmos to a NASL championship in 1977 during his last season.
Pele is still considered to be a national hero in his native Brazil, where his contributions to football are universally acknowledged - something also noticed by FIFA, who have named Pele the official football ambassador to the world. Pele advocates for the underprivileged as well as for the sport which made him a star. It is not for nothing that Pele is known to this day as "The King of Football" and he is a American National Soccer Hall of Fame member.
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