Pelé

Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on 23 October 1940 in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil. His father, João Ramos do Nascimento, known as Dondinho, had played professionally; his mother was Celeste Arantes. The nickname Pelé arose in childhood, reportedly from his pronunciation of Bilé, a goalkeeper associated with his father. As a teenager in Bauru, he was coached by Waldemar de Brito, who took him to Santos FC. Santos signed him in 1956, and he made his first-team debut at age fifteen. In 1957, he became the Campeonato Paulista’s leading scorer. With Santos, Pelé helped build one of club football’s most celebrated sides. The team won the Copa Libertadores in 1962 and 1963, defeating Peñarol and Boca Juniors respectively, and won the Intercontinental Cup in both years, beating Benfica and AC Milan. Santos also won numerous Paulista and national titles during his era. At the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the seventeen-year-old scored six goals, including a hat-trick against France in the semifinal and two goals in the 5–2 final victory over Sweden. Brazil retained the trophy in Chile in 1962, although Pelé was injured early in the tournament. He returned to lead Brazil to the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, scoring in the final against Italy and assisting Carlos Alberto’s goal in the 4–1 win. Brazil therefore became the first nation to win the tournament three times, keeping the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently. For Brazil, Pelé scored 77 goals in 92 official matches, a total later matched by Neymar. He did not play in Europe’s major leagues; Brazil’s rules and Santos’s commercial importance helped keep him at the club. In 1975, however, he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. His presence drew huge attention to the league, and he retired after a 1977 exhibition between Cosmos and Santos. Pelé was named FIFA’s Player of the Century jointly with Diego Maradona in 2000, though the award’s voting process used different components. He served as Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport from 1995 to 1998, advocating reforms that became associated with the “Pelé Law.” In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named him Athlete of the Century. Off the pitch, Pelé appeared in films, recorded music, and used his profile in public campaigns. His legacy includes Brazil’s three World Cup triumphs, Santos’s international successes, and an enduring debate over his public responses to Brazil’s military dictatorship.