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Pelé:
Brazilian football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, famously called Pelé, has passed away aged 82. He is considered by many as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He was instrumental in Brazil’s three World Cup victories in 1958, 1962, and 1970. He is still the top scorer for Brazil national team with 77 goals in 92 games. He retired from Santos in 1974 but a year later made a surprise comeback by signing a lucrative deal to join the New York Cosmos in the then nascent North American Soccer League.
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Career of Pele:
- In a glorious 21-year career he scored between 1,281 and 1,283 goals, depending on how matches are counted. Pele, though, transcended soccer, like no player before or since, and he became one of the first global icons of the 20th century.
- During his career, he became known as “The Black Pearl”.
- Pele was named “Athlete of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee, co-“Football Player of the Century” by world soccer body FIFA, and a “national treasure” by Brazil’s government.
- In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
- In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century.
Awards and Honours:
- In January 2014, Pelé was awarded the first ever FIFA Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur as an acknowledgment from the world governing body of the sport for his contribution to world football.
- In 2020, Pelé was named in the Ballon d’Or Dream Team, a greatest all-time XI.
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