The Legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento famously known as Pele has finally rested at the age of 82 years. With a rich record in the football world, Pele has left the world mourning him as of the best to ever play the game.
The football Icon passed away on 29th December 2022 due to colon cancer that progressed and caused multiple organ failure. Pele was admitted to Albert Einstein Hospital, Sao Paulo in late November after a respiratory infection which was also related to colon cancer.
The Rise and Tantalizing Talent of Pele
Born on 23rd, October 1940 in Tres Caracoles, Pele was a passionate footballer who placed football as his first priority. Being born into a humble family, his start wasn’t that impressive as he played barefoot with a homemade ball, a well-shaped socks.
The legend was born into a sporting family as his father was a famous footballer, according to him his father his greatest inspiration and he played a huge role in shaping his career.
The title Pele originated during his sandy-field games as his classmates teased him that he was copying a famous footballer at the time by the name of Bile. Either way, the title went on to create strong roots in the football history and since then the name Pele has been relevant in the football World for more than six decades.
Following his stunning style of play in the sandy stadium, a Santos scout spotted him and invited him to Santos camp for further development his. With his parents’ blessing, Pele left his home at the age of 15 and joined Santos camp with a dream of helping his country win the world cup, which it had craved for.
Joining the club, Pele went on to script his first record as scoring 619 goals in 638 appearances for Santos. However, this remained in Brazil and the rest of the world was yet to get a glimpse of Pele’s dazzling talent.
In 1958, Pele made his World Cup debut at 17 years, becoming the youngest Brazilian to play for the Brazil national team. The 1958 World Cup served as his breakthrough in the football scene as he exhibited his tantalizing talent to the World.
Pele scored his first and only goal in that match during the quarterfinal win against Wales. He went on to score a hat-trick in the Semifinals before sealing the finals with 2 goals as Brazil thrashed then-host Sweden 5-2. Being the sixth FIFA World Cup, Pele helped his country secure its first World Cup title earning the name O Rei (The King).
In the 1962 World Cup, Pele went on to script another history after he successfully defended the World Cup title, making Brazil the second country to do so since Italy in 1938 and the record has remained intact to date as France failed to do so in 2022.
After winning the 1962 World Cup, Pele and Brazil’s squad failed to defend it in 1966 but went on to reclaim it in 1970 becoming the first player to ever win three World Cup titles in the history of the World Cup.
Pele’s Legacy
Despite hanging his boots in the late 1970s no one has matched his two-decade record in football history. Apart from winning three World Cup titles, Pele also entered the Guinness World Record as World’s top scorer with 1,279 goals in 1,363 games.
He led Santos to five back-to-back Campeonato Brasileiro title wins and two consecutive Copa Libertadores and many more. Pele has left 7 Ballon d’Or awards in his display. On top of that, he has over 50 other accolades on his display.