Who Is Pele? Bio, Wiki, Brief Details

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled “the greatest” by FIFA, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century.

As a member of Brazil’s three-time World Cup champion team, Pelé is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time.

Who Is Pele?

Football legend Pele became a superstar with his performance in the 1958 World Cup. Pelé played as a professional player in Brazil for 20 years, won three World Cups to the end, and then joined the New York Universe team. later in his career. He was named FIFA Player of the Century in 1999 and is a global ambassador for football and other humanitarian causes.

Early Life

Pele skin was born in Três Corações, Brazil on October 23, 1940., whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, he was the first child of João Ramos and Doña Celeste. Bailey was named after Thomas Edison, nicknamed “Dico”, and moved to Bauru with his family as a child.

João Ramos, better known as “Dondinho”, worked hard to earn a living as a footballer, while Pelé grew up in poverty. Despite this, he kicked a rolled up rag-stuffed sock on the streets of Bauru, thus developing his early soccer talent. The origin of the nickname “Pele” is unclear, but he recalled that the first time his friend called him that, he despised him.

As a teenager, Pele joined a youth team coached by former Brazilian football team member Valdemar de Brito. De Brito finally convinced the Bailey family to let this budding phenomenon escape from home and tried professional football club Santos when he was 15.

National Football Treasure

After Pele signed with Santos, he immediately began training with the team’s regulars. He scored the first professional goal of his career before the age of 16, led the league in goals in his first full season, and was selected to play for the Brazilian national team.

The world was officially introduced to Pele at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. The 17-year-old displayed extraordinary speed, athleticism and vision, defeating the French team by 52 points in the semi-finals, scoring three goals and then scoring two more goals in the final, beating the host country by 52 points.

The young superstar received a high offer to play for a European club and Brazilian President Janio Cuadros finally declared Pelé a national treasure, making it difficult for him to legally play in another country. In any case, ownership of the Santos Club ensures that its attractive star is highly rewarded by organizing lucrative exhibition games with teams from around the world.

More World Cup Champions

Pelé aggravated his groin injury in two games at the 1962 World Cup in Chile. He missed the final and Brazil won the championship for the second time in a row. Four years later, in England, a series of brutal attacks by the rival defender forced him again to be eliminated with a leg injury and Brazil was expelled from the World Cup after one round.

Despite disappointment on the world stage, Pele’s legend continues. In the late 1960s, two factions in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire in order to watch Pele’s exhibition match in Lagos.

The 1970 World Cup in Mexico marked the triumphant return of Pele and Brazil. Leading a strong team, Pele scored four goals in the game, one of which helped Brazil beat Italy in 41 games in the final.

Bailey announced his withdrawal from football in 1974, but was pulled back to the game the following year to play for the New York Cosmos team of the North American Football League, temporarily helping the National Football League to become a major attraction. In October 1977, he played the last match of an exhibition match between New York and Santos, competing for both sides, and retired in 1,363 games with a total of 1,281 goals.

Retirement and Legacy

Retirement did not reduce Bailey’s public image. Bailey is still a popular and active publicist in many professional fields.

In 1978, Pele received the International Peace Prize for his work at UNICEF. He has also served as Brazil’s Minister of Sports Extraordinary Affairs and the UN Ambassador for Ecology and Environment.

Pele was named FIFA’s “Partner of the Century” in 1999 along with the Argentine Diego Maradona. For many people, his achievements on the football field will never be matched. Almost all the great athletes in this sport are compared to the Brazilian who once stopped the world to watch his important games.