Legendary football Pelé with his car in 1960 in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.

Legendary football Pelé with his car in 1960 in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.

Legendary football Pelé with his car in 1960 in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.

Full name: Edson Arantes do Nascimento

Born: October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Brazil

Passed away: December 29, 2022, in São Paulo, Brazil

Position: Forward / Attacking midfielder

Nicknames: Pelé, “The King of Football” (“O Rei do Futebol”)

Club Career:
Most famous for playing with Santos FC (1956–1974), where he scored over 600 goals in official matches. He later joined the New York Cosmos (1975–1977), helping to popularize football (soccer) in the United States.

International Career (Brazil):
Represented Brazil from 1957–1971. He scored 77 goals in 92 appearances, making him Brazil’s joint all-time top scorer (tied with Neymar). He was three-time FIFA World Cup winner (1958, 1962, 1970) – the only player in history to achieve this.

His performances in the 1958 World Cup (age 17) and 1970 World Cup (as the leader of Brazil’s golden team) are considered legendary.

Pelé was known for extraordinary dribbling, vision, finishing, incredible athleticism, balance, creativity, scoring from both feet, headers, free-kicks, and long-range shots.

Legacy:
Recognized by FIFA as “Footballer of the Century” (shared with Diego Maradona).

He is officially credited with over 1,280 career goals (including friendlies and unofficial matches). He helped turn football into a truly global sport.

Beyond football, he was a UN ambassador, a Minister of Sports in Brazil, and a worldwide humanitarian figure.

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