Pele (Edson Arantis do Nascimento) was born on October 23, 1940 in the small town of Tres Coracoins, in the family of João Ramos do Nascimento (1917 – 1996) and Celeste Arantis (born 1922) .
The boy’s father was known in Brazil as the footballer Dondinho. He began to teach his son how to play football and told him some of his secrets. The boy was named after the inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847 – 1931), because in their town electric light bulbs had only recently been lit, which was a real miracle for the residents. However, due to an error in the birth documents, the boy’s name was Edson. His family called him Diko.
Career of a world football legend
At the age of 7, Pele had already played for the youth team. The coaches noted the spectacular play of the boy in the attack. In 1948, the coach of the team was Valdemar de Brito (1913 – 1979).
In his youth, Pele played for some local teams, including Amriquinha. Pele was brought to the Bauru youth sports club by coach de Brito, and the teenager entered the field in two Sao Paulo state championships.
Pele, at the age of 14, took part in futsal matches and played on a par with adults. Later, he said that futsal is quite difficult, it is faster than regular football, and the players must react faster, because the field is small. In these matches, 14-year-old Pele played on a par with adults.
In 1956, Brito came to Santos with Pele and introduced him to the club’s management in this way: “remember this boy, he will soon become the best football player in the world.” Pele liked the coach, Luis Perez (1922 – 1972), and he accepted the teenager into the team. Three months later, Pele entered the field in a match against the Brazilian Corinthians – and scored a beautiful goal.
The following year, Pele was already invited to the Brazilian national team. His debut at the 1958 World Championships (WCH) in Sweden impressed everyone.
After the 1962 World Cup, where Brazil became the champion, Pele was invited by the leadership of Real Madrid, Turin’s Juventus and the English Manchester United. But the authorities of the country declared Pele a “national treasure of Brazil” in order to avoid the departure of a productive football player to other countries.
At the 1962 World Cup and the 1966 World Cup, Pele did not really prove himself due to numerous injuries. And here is the 1970 World Cup final. became a triumph for Pele and the team. This squad was recognized as the best in the history of the Brazilian national team.
For Santos, Pelé scored 1,091 goals in 1,116 matches. Over the entire career of a football player, he scored 1281 goals in 1363 matches.
In 1975, Pele signed a contract with the US club Cosmos (NASL). In 1977, Pele was recognized as the US champion.
In 1992, Pele was the UN Ambassador for the Environment, and in 1995, the Minister of Sports of Brazil.
In 1998, Pele was consecrated a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, but the prefix “sir” can only be used by British subjects.
Pele’s physiological features
Nature generously endowed Pele, but he still devoted a lot of time to working out various technical components. His hitting the ball was the same in terms of power and accuracy, no matter which foot he hit. He did great dribbles and dribbles. Pele possessed the ball filigree, combining this skill with the speed of movement. The techniques that he practiced in training were intensified by the athlete’s quick improvisation.
Pele was called the “grandmaster” of the pass. Opponents were surprised at his non-standard reaction and the unexpectedness of his decisions.
Experts believe that Pele’s playing technique is specific and has changed the very essence and possibilities of football. The “miracles” demonstrated on the football field became a legend, and the 1961 goal against the Brazilian club Fluminense was called the “goal of the century.” A memorial sign was erected at the stadium. It really could be called a miracle, because Pele, on the way from his team’s penalty box, bypassed all rivals alone.
Player’s records
In 1959, Pele scored 126 goals against opponents.
In 1964, in a match with the Brazilian club Botafogo, Pele scored 8 goals. It’s time to remember the words from the song: “What pain, what pain …”. The match “Santos” – “Botafogo” ended with the score 11:0.
In 1969, Nigeria experienced a bloody internecine conflict, but when it was announced that a friendly match with the Santos team would be held, where Pele would participate, the authorities declared a truce for this period.
Anniversary – 1000th goal – The King of Football scored on November 19, 1969 from the penalty spot in the match between Santos and the Brazilian team Vasco da Gama. Later, Pele admitted that he dreamed of scoring this goal in the fight against rivals, skillfully bypassing them on the field.
Pele’s personal life
- In 1966 – 1982. Pele was married to Rosemery dos Reis Cholbi. Three children were born in the family.
- In 1994 – 2008 Pele’s wife was Assyria Lemos Seixas, who gave him the twins Joshua and Celeste.
- In 2016, The King of Football married businesswoman Marcia Sibeli Aoki.
The Last Days of the King of Football
In September 2021, Pele underwent surgery to remove the tumor. On November 29, 2022, Pele was hospitalized. Doctors diagnosed heart failure and SARS.
On the buildings in Qatar, where the 2022 World Cup was held, fans posted a photo of Pelé with wishes for recovery, and the Brazilian national team took out a large poster with his image on the field after the match.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento left this world on December 29, 2022. The whole world received this sad news with great sadness in his heart. A three-day mourning was declared in the country.
