MY WALL OF FAME: PELE, EDSON ARANTE DE NASCIMENTO
Pelé: Edson Arantes de Nascimento. A member of three Brazilian World Cup-champion teams, Pelé is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time.
Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil, the first child of João Ramos and Dona Celeste. Named after Thomas Edison and nicknamed "Dico," Pelé moved with his family to the city of Bauru as a young boy.
João Ramos, better known as "Dondinho," struggled to earn a living as a soccer player, and Pelé grew up in poverty. Still, he developed a rudimentary talent for soccer by kicking a rolled-up sock stuffed with rags around the streets of Bauru.
The origin of the "Pelé" nickname is unclear, though he recalled despising it when his friends first referred to him
After playing for a minor league club at Bauru, Sao Paolo state, Pelé was rejected by major club teams in the city of São Paulo. In 1956, however, he joined the Santos Football Club, which, with Pelé at inside left forward, won nine São Paulo league Championships and, in 1962 and 1963, both the Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Club Cup.
Sometimes called “Pérola Negra” (“Black Pearl”), he became a Brazilian national hero. He combined kicking power and accuracy with a remarkable ability to anticipate other players’ moves. After the 195WorldCup, Pelé was declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government in order to ward off large offers from European clubs and ensure that he would remain in Brazil.
On November 19, 1969, in his 909th first-class match, he scored his 1,000th goal.
Pelé made his international debut in 1957 at age 16 and the following year played his first game in the World Cup finals in Sweden. The Brazilian manager was initially hesitant to play his young star. When Pelé finally reached the field, he had an immediate impact, rattling the post with one shot and collecting an assist. He had a hat trick in the semifinal against France and two goals in the championship game, where Brazil defeated Sweden 5–2.
At the 1962 World Cup finals, Pelé tore a thigh muscle in the second match and had to sit out the remainder of the tournament. Nonetheless, Brazil went on to claim its second World Cup title. Rough play and injuries turned the 1966 World Cup into a disaster for both Brazil and Pelé, as the team went out in the first round, and he contemplated retiring from World Cup play. Returning in 1970 for one more World Cup tournament, he teamed with young stars Jairzinho and Rivelino to claim Brazil’s third title and permanent ownership of the Jules Rimet Trophy. Pelé finished his World Cup career having scored 12 goals in 14 games.
Pelé’s electrifying play and penchant for spectacular goals made him a star around the world. His team Santos toured internationally in order to take full advantage of his popularity. In 1967 he and his team traveled to Nigeria, where a 48-hour cease-fire n that nation’s civil war was called to allow all to watch the great player.
In 1978, Pelé was awarded the International Peace Award for his work with UNICEF. In 1980 he was named Athlete of the Century by the French sports publication L’Equipe, and he received the same honour in 1999 from the International Olympic Committee.
In 2014 the Pelé Museum opened in Santos, Brazil.
He has also served as Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport and a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment.
Pelé was named FIFA's "Co-Player of the Century" in 1999, along with Argentine Diego Maradona. To many, his accomplishments on the soccer field will never be equaled.
In addition to his accomplishments in sports, he published several best-selling autobiographies and starred in several successful documentary and semi-documentary films. He also composed numerous musical pieces, including the soundtrack for the film Pelé.
King Pele died on December 29, 2002 at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
He was aged 82.
Comments