Pelé
Also known as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele, O Rei
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record. 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 vot
AI overview
Pelé was a Brazilian professional footballer widely considered one of the greatest players in history, known for scoring 1,279 goals across 1,363 games and becoming one of the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. He was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999 and included in Time's list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century, cementing his lasting impact on sports and global culture.
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Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1940
- Works
- 13
Top works
- The Pelé albums
- Pelé, a autobiografia
- Examen a Zapatero
- Pelé
- Pelé
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (born 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), known as Pelé, was 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. In 1999 he was named Athlete of the Century by the International…
Known for
- When Soccer Came to America: Goals, Glamour and the Beautiful Game — Self (Archive Footage)2026
- Pelé: O Jogador do Milênio — Self2025
- Kenny Dalglish — Self (archive footage)2025
- Placar: A Revista Militante — Self2024
- Brasiliana: The Black Musical That Introduced Brazil to the World — Himself (archive footage)2024
- Jair Rodrigues - Let Them Talk — Self (archive footage)2023
Article
35 sectionsContents
- Early years
- Club career
- Santos
- 1956–1962: Early years with Santos and being declared a national treasure
- 1962–1965: Copa Libertadores success
- 1965–1974: ''O Milésimo'' and final years with Santos
- New York Cosmos
- International career
- 1958 FIFA World Cup
- 1959 South American Championship
- 1962 World Cup
- 1966 World Cup
- 1970 World Cup
- Style of play
- Legacy
- Accolades
- "Pelé Pact" and Puma sponsorship
- Personal life
- Habits
- Relationships and children
- Politics
- Religion
- Health
- After football
- Death and funeral
- Career statistics
- Club
- International
- Honours
- Filmography
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record. 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, alongside Diego Maradona.
Pelé began playing for Brazilian football club Santos at age 15, and for the Brazil national team at 16. During his international career, he won three FIFA World Cup titles – in 1958, 1962, and 1970 – becoming the only player to do so and the youngest to win a World Cup, at just 17 years old. He was nicknamed '''''' (The King) following the 1958 World Cup. With 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil, Pelé held the record as the national team's top goalscorer for over fifty years. At the club level, he is Santos's all-time top goalscorer with 643 goals in 659 games. In a golden era for Santos, Pelé led the club to the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores, and to the 1962 and 1963 Intercontinental Cup. Credited with connecting the phrase "The Beautiful Game" with football, Pelé's "electrifying play and penchant for spectacular goals" made him a global star, and his teams toured internationally to take full advantage of his popularity. During his playing days, Pelé was for a period the best-paid athlete in the world. After retiring in 1977, Pelé was a worldwide ambassador for football and made many acting and commercial ventures. In 2010, he was named the honorary president of the New York Cosmos.
Gallery (53)
Connections
Categories
1940 births1958 FIFA World Cup players1962 FIFA World Cup players1966 FIFA World Cup players1970 FIFA World Cup players2022 deaths20th-century Brazilian sportsmenAfro-Brazilian sportspeopleAssociation football people awarded knighthoodsBBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement Award recipientsBBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year winners