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.
Peles skill was noticed by football star Waldemar de Brito. He began coaching Pel in 1954 when Pele was just 14 years old. He made his professional debut in 1956 for Santos Futebol Clube. By 1957, he claimed a starting position on the 1st team. He claimed his first World Cup trophy at the age of 17. It was in 1962 that he began receiving offers from European organizations and he began to entertain the idea of a move to Europe. Due to economic conditions and the benefits Pel brought to the Santos Football Club as well as Brazilian football regulations, the Brazilian government blocked any move by Pele to Europe, declaring him a national treasure.
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.
In his homeland of Brazil, he is still regarded a national hero. He is well known for his contributions and accomplishments to football and was declared the football ambassador of the world by FIFA. He vocally supports policies that will improve the conditions of the less privileged. During his legendary career, he earned the title \”The King of Football\”. His is a member of the American National Soccer Hall of Fame.