Pelé
Pelé in 2007 |
| Personal information |
| Full name |
Edison Arantes do Nascimento[1] |
| Date of birth |
(1940-10-21) 21 October 1940 (age 71)[1] |
| Place of birth |
Três Corações, Brazil |
| Height |
1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Playing position |
Forward[2] |
| Youth career |
| 1954–1956 |
Bauru |
| Senior career* |
| Years |
Team |
Apps† |
(Gls)† |
| 1956–1974 |
Santos |
605 |
(589) |
| 1975–1977 |
New York Cosmos[3] |
56 |
(31) |
| Total |
|
661 |
(620) |
| National team |
| 1957–1971 |
Brazil[4] |
92 |
(77) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
|
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (name given as Edison on birth certificate, born 21 October 1940 (however, Pelé himself claims that he was born on 23 October) [1][5]), known by his nickname Pelé (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [peˈlɛ]), is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as the best football player of all time.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] In 1999, he was voted Football Player of the Century by the IFFHS International Federation of Football History and Statistics. In the same year French weekly magazine France-Football consulted their former "Ballon D'Or" winners to elect the Football Player of the Century. Pelé came in first place. In 1999 the International Olympic Committee named Pelé the "Athlete of the Century".[15] In his career he scored 760 official goals. He is also the most successful Top Division goal scorer of all time with 541 League goals.[16] In total Pelé scored 1281 goals in 1363 games.[17][18]
In his native Brazil, Pelé is hailed as a national hero.[19][20] He is known for his accomplishments and contributions to the game of football.[21] He is also acknowledged for his vocal support of policies to improve the social conditions of the poor (when he scored his 1,000th goal he dedicated it to the poor children of Brazil).[22] During his career, he became known as "The King of Football" (O Rei do Futebol), "The King Pelé" (O Rei Pelé) or simply "The King" (O Rei).[23]
Spotted by football star Waldemar de Brito,[24] Pelé began playing for Santos at 15 and his national team at 16, and won his first World Cup at 17. Despite numerous offers from European clubs, the economic conditions and Brazilian football regulations at the time benefited Santos, thus enabling them to keep Pelé for almost two decades until 1974. With Pelé within their ranks, Santos reached their zenith by winning the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious club competition in South American football.[25] 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.[26] Pelé played most of his career as a centre forward.[26][27][28][29] Pelé's technique and natural athleticism have been universally praised and during his playing years he was renowned for his excellent dribbling and passing, his pace, powerful shot, exceptional heading ability, and prolific goalscoring.
He is the all-time leading scorer of the Brazil national football team and is the only footballer to be a part of three World Cup-winning squads.[30] In 1962, his second World Cup victory, he was on the Brazilian squad at the start of the World Cup but because of an injury suffered in the second match, he was not able to play the remainder of the tournament. In November 2007 FIFA announced that he would be awarded the 1962 medal retroactively, making him the only player in the world to have three World Cup winning medals.[31]
Since his retirement in 1977, Pelé has been a worldwide ambassador for football and has undertaken various acting roles and commercial ventures. He is currently the Honorary President of the New York Cosmos.[32]
Pelé was born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho (born João Ramos do Nascimento) and Dona Celeste Arantes. He was the oldest of two siblings.[33] He was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison.[1][5] However, his parents decided to remove the 'i' and call him 'Edson', but there was a mistake on the birth certificate, leading many documents to show his name as 'Edison', not 'Edson', as he is actually called.[1][34][35] He was originally nicknamed Dico by his family.[24][33][36] He did not receive the nickname "Pelé" until his school days, when it is claimed he was given it because of his pronunciation of the name of his favorite player, local Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé, which he misspoke but the more he complained the more it stuck. In his autobiography, Pelé stated he had no idea what the name means, nor did his old friends.[33] Apart from the assertion that the name is derived from that of Bilé, and that it is Hebrew for "miracle," the word has no known meaning in Portuguese.[37]
Pelé grew up in poverty in Bauru, São Paulo. He earned extra money by working in tea shops as a servant. Taught to play by his coach, he could not afford a proper soccer ball and usually played with either a sock stuffed with newspaper, tied with a string[33] or a grapefruit.[38] In 1954, aged fourteen, he joined Bauru Athletic Club juniors in Bauru, São Paulo.[39]
In 1956, de Brito took Pelé to Santos, an industrial and port city in the state of São Paulo, to try out for professional club Santos Futebol Clube telling the directors at Santos that the 15-year-old would be "the greatest football player in the world."[40]
Aged 16, Pelé made his debut for Santos in 7 September 1956, scoring one goal in a 7–1 friendly victory over Corinthians.[41][42] When the 1957 season started, Pelé was given a starting place in the first team and, at the age of 16, became the top scorer in the league. Ten months after signing professionally, the teenager was called up to the Brazil national team. After the World Cup in 1962, wealthy European clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United tried to sign the young player, but the government of Brazil declared Pelé an "official national treasure" to prevent him from being transferred out of the country.[43]
Pelé won his first major title with Santos in 1958 as the team won the Campeonato Paulista; Pelé would finish the tournament as top scorer with 58 goals,[44] a record that stands today. A year later, he would help the team earn their first victory in the Torneio Rio-São Paulo with a 3–0 over Vasco da Gama.[45] However, Santos was unable to retain the Paulista title. In 1960, Pelé scored 33 goals to help his team regain the Campeonato Paulista trophy but lost out on the Rio-São Paulo tournament after finishing in 8th place.[46] Another 47 goals from Pelé saw Santos retain the Campeonato Paulista. The club went on to win the Taça Brasil that same year, crushing Bahia in the finals; Pelé finished as top scorer of the tournament with 9 goals. The victory allowed Santos to participate in the Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious club tournament in the Western hemisphere.[47]
Santos' most successful club season started in 1962;[5] the team was seeded in Group 1 alongside Cerro Porteño and Deportivo Municipal, winning every match of their group but one (a 1–1 away tie vs Cerro), with Pelé scoring his first goal in a brace against Cerro. Santos defeated Universidad Católica in the semifinals and met defending champions Peñarol in the finals in which Pelé scored another brace in the playoff match to secure the first title for a Brazilian club. Pelé finished as the second best scorer of the competition with 4 goals. That same year, Santos would defend, with success, the Campeonato Brasiliero (with 37 goals from Pelé), the Taça Brasil (Pelé scoring four goals in the final series against Botafogo), and win the 1962 Intercontinental Cup against Benfica.[48] Wearing his iconic number 10 shirt, Pelé produced one of his best ever performances and scored a hat-trick in Lisbon, as Santos beat the European champions 5–2.[49]
As the defending champions, Santos qualified automatically to the semifinal stage of the 1963 Copa Libertadores. The ballet blanco managed to retain the title in spectacular fashion after impressive victories over Botafogo and Boca Juniors. Pelé helped Santos overcome a Botafogo team that contained legends such as Garrincha and Jairzinho with an agonizing last-minute goal in the first leg of the semifinals and bring the match to 1–1. In the second leg, Pelé produced one of his best performances as a footballer with a hat-trick in the Estádio do Maracanã as Santos crushed Botafogo 0–4 in the second leg. Appearing in their second consecutive final, Santos started the series by winning 3–2 in the first leg and defeating the Boca Juniors of José Sanfilippo and Antonio Rattín 1–2 in La Bombonera, with another goal from Pelé, becoming the first (and so far only) Brazilian team to lift the Copa Libertadores in Argentine soil. Pelé finished the tournament as the topscorer runner-up with 5 goals. Santos lost the Campeonato Paulista after finishing in third place but went on to win the Rio-São Paulo tournament after an impressive 0–3 win over Flamengo in the final, with Pelé providing one goal in the match. Pelé would also help Santos retain the Intercontinental Cup and the Taça Brasil.[48]
The footprints of Pelé inside the
Maracanã.
Santos tried to defend their title again in 1964 but they were thoroughly beaten in both legs of the semifinals by Independiente. Santos won again the Campeonato Paulista, with Pelé netting 34 goals. The club also shared the Rio-São Paulo title with Botafogo and win the Taça Brasil for the fourth consecutive year. The Santistas would try to resurge in 1965 by winning, for the 9th time, the Campeonato Paulista and the Taça Brasil. In the 1965 Copa Libertadores, Santos started convincingly by winning every match of their group in the first round. In the semifinals, Santos met Peñarol in a rematch of the 1962 final. After two legendary matches,[5] a playoff was needed to break the tie. Unlike 1962, Peñarol came out on top and eliminated Santos 2–1.[5] Pelé would, however, finish as the topscorer of the tournament with eight goals.[50] This proved to be the start of a decline as Santos failed to retain the Torneio Rio-São Paulo.
In 1966, Pelé and Santos also failed to retain the Taça Brasil as O Rei's goals weren't enough to prevent a 9–4 routing by Cruzeiro (led by Tostão) in the final series. Although Santos won the Campeonato Paulista in 1967, 1968 and 1969, Pelé became less and less a contributing factor to the Santistas now-limited success. On 19 November 1969, Pelé scored his 1000th goal in all competitions. This was a highly anticipated moment in Brazil.[5] The goal, called popularly O Milésimo (The Thousandth), occurred in a match against Vasco da Gama, when Pelé scored from a penalty kick, at the Maracanã Stadium.[5]
Pelé states that his most beautiful goal was scored at Rua Javari stadium on a Campeonato Paulista match against São Paulo rival Juventus on 2 August 1959. As there is no video footage of this match, Pelé asked that a computer animation be made of this specific goal.[5] In March 1961, Pelé scored the gol de placa (goal worthy of a plaque), against Fluminense at the Maracanã.[51] Pelé received the ball on the edge of his own penalty area, and ran the length of the field, eluding opposition players, and fired the ball beyond the goalkeeper.[51] The goal was regarded as being so spectacular that a plaque was commissioned with a dedication to the most beautiful goal in the history of the Maracanã.[52]
Pelé’s electrifying play and penchant for spectacular goals made him a star around the world.[19] His team Santos toured internationally in order to take full advantage of his popularity. In 1967, the two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos.[53] During his time at Santos, Pelé played alongside many gifted players, including Zito, Pepe, and Coutinho; the latter partnered him in numerous one-two plays, attacks, and goals.[54]
Pele crying while Carlos Alberto consolates him, during his farewell from football in 1977.
After the 1972 season (his 17th with Santos), Pelé retired from Brazilian club football although he continued to occasionally suit up for Santos in official competitive matches. Two years later, he came out of semi-retirement to sign with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1975 season. Though well past his prime at this point, Pelé is credited with significantly increasing public awareness and interest in soccer in the United States. He led the Cosmos to the 1977 NASL championship, in his third and final season with the club.[55]
On 1 October 1977, Pelé closed out his legendary career in an exhibition match between the Cosmos and Santos. Santos arrived in New York and New Jersey after previously defeating the Seattle Sounders 2–0. The match was played in front of a capacity crowd at Giants Stadium and was televised in the United States on ABC's Wide World of Sports as well as throughout the world. Pelé's father and wife both attended the match, as well as a number of his friends in sport such as Muhammad Ali and Bobby Moore.[56] Pelé gave a brief pre-match speech during which he asked the crowd to say the word "love" with him three times. He played the first half for the Cosmos and the second half for Santos. Pelé scored his final goal on a direct free kick, driving the ball past the diving Santos goalkeeper. At halftime, the Cosmos retired Pelé's number 10. Pelé presented his Cosmos shirt to his father, who was escorted to the field by Cosmos captain Werner Roth. During the second half, Cosmos striker Ramon Mifflin, who had replaced Pelé when he switched sides at halftime, scored on a deflected cross, and the Cosmos won the match 2–1. After the match, Pelé was embraced by the Cosmos players, including longtime rival Giorgio Chinaglia, and then ran around the field while holding an American flag in his left hand and a Brazilian flag in his right hand. Pelé was soon lifted by several Cosmos players and carried around the field.[56]
In 1977, Cosmos came to India to play an exhibition match with Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, the National Club of India. The match was held in Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India. The match ended in 2-2 draw and Pele scored one goal for Cosmos.
Pelé's first international match was a 2–1 defeat against Argentina on 7 July 1957 at the Maracanã.[57][58] In that match, he scored his first goal for Brazil aged 16 years and 9 months to become the youngest player to score in International football.[59]
His first match in the World Cup was against the USSR in the first round of the 1958 FIFA World Cup, on the third game of the Cup, alongside Garrincha, Zito and Vavá where he gave the assist to Vavá's second goal.[60] He was the youngest player of that tournament, and at the time the youngest ever to play in the World Cup.[61] He scored his first World Cup goal against Wales in quarterfinals, the only goal of the match, to help Brazil advance to semifinals, while becoming the youngest ever World Cup goalscorer at 17 years and 239 days.[58] Against France in the semifinal, Brazil was leading 2–1 at halftime, and then Pelé scored a hat-trick, becoming the youngest in World Cup history to do so.[62][63]
On 19 June 1958 Pelé became the youngest player to play in a World Cup final match at 17 years and 249 days. He scored two goals in the final as Brazil beat Sweden 5–2. His first goal, a lob over a defender followed by a precise volley shot, was selected as one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup.[64] Following Pelé's second goal, Swedish player Sigvard Parling would later comment; "When Pelé scored the fifth goal in that Final, I have to be honest and say I felt like applauding".[65] When the match ended, Pelé passed out on the field, and had to be attended by the medical staff.[5] He then recovered, and was visibly compelled by the victory; in tears as he was being congratulated by his teammates. He finished the tournament with six goals in four matches played, tied for second place, behind record-breaker Just Fontaine, and was named young player of the tournament.[66]
It was in the 1958 World Cup that Pelé began using a number 10 t-shirt that immortalized him. Recently it is known that the event was the result of disorganization: the leaders didn't send the shirt numbers of players and it was up to FIFA to choose the number 10 shirt to Pele, who was a substitute on the occasion.[67] The press of the time cataloged Pelé as the greatest revelation of the 1958 Cup who was also given retroactively the Silver Ball as the second best player of the tournament, behind Didi.[68][69]
In the first match of the 1962 World Cup, against Mexico, Pelé assisted the first goal and then scored the second one, after a run past four defenders, to go up 2–0.[70] He injured himself while attempting a long-range shot against Czechoslovakia.[5] This would keep him out of the rest of the tournament, and forced coach Aymoré Moreira to make his only lineup change of the tournament. The substitute was Amarildo, who performed well for the rest of the tournament. However, it was Garrincha who would take the leading role and carry Brazil to their second World Cup title.[71]
The 1966 World Cup was marked, among other things, for the brutal fouling on Pelé, by the Bulgarian and Portuguese defenders.[72] By this stage Pelé was the most famous footballer in the world, and the expectation was that Brazil, at the very least, would reach the final.[72] Brazil was eliminated in the first round, playing only three matches.[73] Pelé scored the first goal from a free kick against Bulgaria, becoming the first player to score in three successive FIFA World Cups, but due to his injury, a result of persistent fouling by the Bulgarians, he missed the second game against Hungary.[73] Brazil lost that game and Pelé, although still recovering, was brought back for the last crucial match against Portugal.[74] In that game João Morais brutally fouled Pelé, but was not sent off by referee George McCabe, of whom it is acknowledged let "the Portuguese get away with murder".[72][75] Pelé had to stay on the field limping for the rest of the game, since substitutes were not allowed at that time.[75] After this game he vowed he would not play again in the World Cup, a decision he would later change.[76]
Pelé was called to the national team in early 1969, he refused at first, but then accepted and played in six World Cup qualifying matches, scoring six goals.[4] The 1970 World Cup in Mexico was to be Pelé's last. Brazil's squad for the tournament featured major changes in relation to the 1966 squad. Players like Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Valdir Pereira, Djalma Santos and Gilmar had already retired, but the team, with Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Gérson, Carlos Alberto Torres, Tostão and Clodoaldo, is often considered to be the greatest football team in history.[77][78][79][80][81][82]
Pelé, front row second from right, before the match against Peru in the
1970 World Cup
In the first match, against Czechoslovakia, Pelé gave Brazil a 2–1 lead, by controlling Gerson's long pass with his chest and then scoring. In this match Pelé audaciously attempted to lob goalkeeper Ivo Viktor from the half-way line, only narrowly missing the Czechoslovak goal.[83] Brazil went on to win the match, 4–1. In the first half of the match against England, Pelé nearly scored with a header that was spectacularly saved by Gordon Banks.[84][85] In the second half, he assisted Jairzinho for the only goal of the match. Against Romania, Pelé opened the score on a direct free kick goal, a strong strike with the outside of his right foot. Later on in the match he scored again to take the score to 3–1. Brazil won by a final score of 3–2. In the quarterfinals against Peru, Brazil won 4–2, with Pelé assisting Tostão on for Brazil's third goal. In the semi-finals, Brazil faced Uruguay for the first time since the 1950 World Cup final round match. Jairzinho put Brazil ahead 2–1, and Pelé assisted Rivelino for the 3–1. During that match, Pelé made one of his most famous plays.[83] Tostão gave Pelé a through ball, and Uruguay's goalkeeper Ladislao Mazurkiewicz took notice of it. The keeper ran off of his line to get the ball before Pelé, but Pelé got there first and fooled the keeper by not touching the ball, causing it to roll to the keeper's left, while Pelé went right. Pelé went around the goalkeeper and took a shot while turning towards the goal, but he turned in excess as he shot, and the ball drifted just wide of the far post.[79]
Brazil played Italy in the final, with Pelé scoring the opener, with a header over Italian defender Tarcisio Burgnich.[86] He then made assists on Jairzinho's and Carlos Alberto's goals, the latter one coming after an impressive collective play.[87][88] Brazil won the match 4–1, keeping the Jules Rimet Trophy indefinitely, and Pelé was named player of the tournament.[65][89] Burgnich, who marked Pelé during the final, was quoted saying "I told myself before the game, he's made of skin and bones just like everyone else — but I was wrong".[90]
Pelé's last international match was on 18 July 1971 against Yugoslavia in Rio de Janeiro.[91] With Pelé on the field, the Brazilian team's record was 67 wins, 14 draws and 11 losses, .[4][30] Although Pelé lost many international games, Brazil never lost a match while fielding both Pelé and Garrincha.[91] The only international match Garrincha lost was against Hungary in 1966, 1–3, which Pelé did not play in because of injury.[92]
Pelé also played in the South American Championship. In the 1959 competition he was top scorer with eight goals, as Brazil came second despite being unbeaten in the tournament.[65][93]
On 21 February 1966, Pelé married Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi.[94] He has two daughters Kelly Cristina (13 January 1967) who married Dr. Arthur DeLuca, and Jennifer (1978), as well as a son Edson ("Edinho" – little Edson, 27 August 1970). The couple divorced in 1982.[94] From 1981 to 1986, Pelé had been romantically linked with Xuxa and was seen influential in launching the career of the model who was 17 when they started to date.[95] In April 1994 Pelé married psychologist and gospel singer Assíria Lemos Seixas, who gave birth on 28 September 1996 to twins Joshua and Celeste through fertility treatments.[91] They are now separated.
In 1970, Pelé was investigated by the Brazilian military dictatorship for suspected leftist sympathies. De-classified documents show Pelé was investigated after being handed a manifesto calling for the release of political prisoners. Pelé himself did not get further involved within political struggles in the country.[96]
After football Prime Brands, a Brazilian Licensing Company created in 2006, directed by CEO José Kanner, now manages the Pelé brand including contracts with IMG Licensing who acts on behalf of Prime for international licensing, working with partners such as Pelé Sports, Kotobukiya and the Art of Pelé amongst others.[97]
The most notable area of Pelé's life since football is his ambassadorial work. In 1992, Pelé was appointed a UN ambassador for ecology and the environment.[98][99]
He was awarded Brazil's Gold Medal for outstanding services to the sport in 1995; Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso appointed him to the position of "Extraordinary Minister for Sport" and he was appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.[98] During this time he proposed legislation to reduce corruption in Brazilian football, which became known as the "Pelé law." Pelé left his position in 2001 after he was accused of involvement in a corruption scandal, although nothing was proven, and it was denied by UNICEF.[100][101] In 1997, Pelé received an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II, at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace.[102]
Pelé scouted for Premier League club Fulham in 2002.[103] He was chosen to do the draw for the qualification groups for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals.[104]
Pelé has published several autobiographies, starred in documentary and semi-documentary films, and composed musical pieces, including the entire soundtrack for the film Pelé in 1977. He appeared, alongside other footballers of the 1960s and 1970s, with Michael Caine, and Sylvester Stallone, in the 1981 film Escape to Victory, about an attempted escape from a World War II German POW camp.
In 2005, Pelé received a lifetime achievement award from the BBC and, in June 2006, helped inaugurate the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, alongside supermodel Claudia Schiffer.[78] Pelé also produced an international ad campaign for drug company Pfizer to promote Viagra and raise world awareness of erectile dysfunction.[105]
Pelé was guest of honour at the world's oldest football club, Sheffield's 150th anniversary match v Inter Milan in November 2007. Inter won 5–2 in front of an appreciative crowd of nearly 19,000 at Bramall Lane. As part of his visit, Pelé opened an exhibition which included the first public showing in 40 years of the original hand-written rules of football.[106]
In 2009, he cooperated with Ubisoft on arcade football game Academy of Champions: Soccer for the Wii and appeared in the game as a coach to its players.[107]
On 1 August 2010, Pelé was introduced as the Honorary President of a revived New York Cosmos, aiming to field a team in Major League Soccer.[32] On 3 August 2011, it was reported that Santos were considering bringing him out of retirement for a cameo role in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup.[108]
Santos
- Copa Libertadores (2): 1962, 1963
- Campeonato Paulista (10): 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973[109]
- Taça Brasil (5): 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965[110]
- Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa (1): 1968
- Torneio Rio-São Paulo (4): 1959, 1963, 1964, 1966[111][112]
- Intercontinental Cup (2): 1962, 1963[113]
- Intercontinental Supercup (1): 1968[114]
New York Cosmos
Brazil
- [15][115]
- Santos
- Copa Libertadores top scorer (1): 1965.
- Campeonato Paulista top scorer (11): 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1973.
- Athlete of the Century, elected by world wide journalists, poll by French daily L'Equipe: 1981
- South American Footballer of the Year: 1973[116]
- Athlete of the Century, by Reuters News Agency: 1999
- Athlete of the Century, elected by International Olympic Committee: 1999
- UNICEF Football Player of the Century: 1999
- Football Player of the Century, elected by France Football's Golden Ball Winners : 1999
In December 2000, Pelé and Maradona shared the prize of FIFA Player of the Century by FIFA.[122] The award was originally intended to be based upon votes in a web poll, but after it became apparent that it favoured Diego Maradona, many observers complained that the Internet nature of the poll would have meant a skewed demographic of younger fans who would have seen Maradona play, but not Pelé. FIFA then appointed a "Family of Football" committee of FIFA members to decide the winner of the award. The committee chose Pelé. Since Maradona was winning the Internet poll, however, it was decided he and Pelé should share the award.[123]
A consensus of media and expert polls rank Pelé as the greatest footballer of all time.[124]
Pelé dribbling past a defender during
Malmö FF–
Brazil 1–7 in May, 1960. Pelé scored 2 goals.
Pelé's goalscoring record is often reported as being 1280 goals in 1363 games.[125] This figure includes goals scored by Pelé in friendly club matches, for example, international tours Pelé completed with Santos and the New York Cosmos, and a few games Pelé played in for armed forces teams during his national service in Brazil.[126]
The tables below record every goal Pelé scored in major club competitions for Santos and the New York Cosmos. During much of Pelé's playing career in Brazil there was no national league championship. From 1960 onwards the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) were required to provide meritocratic entrants for the then-new Copa Libertadores, a South American international club competition broadly equivalent to the European Cup. To enable them to do this, the CBF organised two national competitions: the Taça de Prata and Taça Brasil. A national league championship, the Campeonato Brasileiro, was first played in 1971, alongside traditional state and interstate competitions such as the Campeonato Paulista and the Torneio Rio-São Paulo.
The number of league goals scored by Pelé is listed as 589 in 605 games. This number is the sum of the goals scored by Pelé in domestic league-based competitions: the Campeonato Paulista (SPS), Torneio Rio-São Paulo (RSPS), Taça de Prata and Campeonato Brasileiro. The Taça Brasil was a national competition organised on a knockout basis.
| Club |
Season |
Domestic League Competitions |
Domestic League
Sub-total |
|
Domestic Cup |
International Club Competitions |
Official
Total[127] |
|
Total inc.
Friendlies |
| SPS[128] |
RSPS[129] |
T. de Prata[130] |
Camp. Brasil.[129] |
T. Brasil[131] |
Copa Libertadores |
Intercontinental Cup |
| Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
| Santos |
1956 |
0* |
0* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0* |
0* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0* |
0*[132] |
2* |
2* |
| 1957 |
14+15* |
19+17*[133] |
9 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
38* |
41* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
38* |
41* |
67* |
57* |
| 1958[134] |
38 |
58 |
8 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
46 |
66 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
46* |
66* |
60* |
80* |
| 1959[135][136] |
32 |
45 |
7 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
39 |
51 |
4* |
2* |
|
|
|
|
43* |
53* |
83* |
100* |
| 1960[137][138] |
30 |
33 |
3 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
33 |
33 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
33* |
33* |
67* |
59* |
| 1961[139] |
26 |
47 |
7 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
33 |
55 |
5* |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
38* |
62* |
74* |
110* |
| 1962[140] |
26 |
37 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
26 |
37 |
5* |
2* |
4* |
4* |
2 |
5 |
37* |
48* |
50* |
62* |
| 1963[141] |
19 |
22 |
8 |
14 |
|
|
|
|
27 |
36 |
4* |
8 |
4* |
5* |
1 |
2 |
36 |
51* |
52* |
67* |
| 1964 |
21 |
34 |
4 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
25 |
37 |
6* |
7 |
0* |
0* |
0 |
0 |
31* |
44* |
47* |
57* |
| 1965 |
30 |
49 |
7 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
37 |
54 |
4* |
2* |
7* |
8 |
0 |
0 |
48* |
64* |
66* |
97* |
| 1966 |
14 |
13 |
0* |
0* |
|
|
|
|
14* |
13* |
5* |
2* |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
19* |
15* |
38* |
31* |
| 1967[142] |
18 |
17 |
|
|
14* |
9* |
|
|
32* |
26* |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
32* |
26* |
65* |
56* |
| 1968[143] |
21 |
17 |
|
|
17* |
11* |
|
|
38* |
28* |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
38* |
28* |
73* |
55* |
| 1969 |
25 |
26 |
|
|
12* |
12* |
|
|
37* |
38* |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
37* |
38* |
61* |
57* |
| 1970 |
15 |
7 |
|
|
13* |
4* |
|
|
28* |
11* |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
28* |
11* |
54* |
47* |
| 1971 |
19 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
21 |
1 |
40 |
9 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
40 |
9 |
72* |
60* |
| 1972 |
20 |
9 |
|
|
|
|
16 |
5 |
36 |
14 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
36 |
14 |
74* |
55* |
| 1973 |
19 |
11 |
|
|
|
|
30 |
19 |
49 |
30 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
49 |
30 |
66* |
45* |
| 1974 |
10 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
17 |
9 |
27 |
10 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
27 |
10 |
49* |
19* |
| All |
412 |
470 |
53 |
49 |
56* |
36* |
84 |
34 |
605* |
589* |
33 |
30 |
15 |
17[144] |
3 |
7 |
656 |
643 |
1120 |
1033* |
- A dark grey cell in the table indicates that the relevant competition did not take place that year.
- * indicates this number was inferred from a Santos fixture list from rsssf.com and this list of games Pelé played.
| Club |
Season |
League |
Post season |
Other |
Total |
| Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
| NY Cosmos |
1975 |
9 |
5 |
|
|
14 |
10 |
23 |
15 |
| 1976 |
22 |
13 |
2 |
2 |
18 |
11 |
42 |
26 |
| 1977 |
25 |
13 |
6 |
4 |
11 |
6 |
42 |
23 |
| All |
56 |
31 |
8 |
6 |
43 |
27 |
107 |
64 |
[edit] National team[4]
| Brazil national team |
| Year |
Apps |
Goals |
| 1957 |
2 |
2 |
| 1958 |
7 |
9 |
| 1959 |
15 |
11 |
| 1960 |
6 |
4 |
| 1961 |
0 |
0 |
| 1962 |
8 |
8 |
| 1963 |
7 |
7 |
| 1964 |
3 |
2 |
| 1965 |
8 |
9 |
| 1966 |
9 |
5 |
| 1967 |
0 |
0 |
| 1968 |
7 |
4 |
| 1969 |
9 |
7 |
| 1970 |
15 |
8 |
| 1971 |
2 |
1 |
| Total |
92 |
77 |
| # |
Date |
Venue |
Opponent |
Score |
Result |
World Cup |
Round |
| 1. |
19 June 1958 |
Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden |
 Wales |
1 – 0 |
1–0 |
1958 |
Quarter-Final |
| 2. |
24 June 1958 |
Rasunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden |
 France |
1 – 3 |
2–5 |
1958 |
Semi-Final |
| 3. |
24 June 1958 |
Rasunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden |
France |
1 – 4 |
2–5 |
1958 |
Semi-Final |
| 4. |
24 June 1958 |
Rasunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden |
France |
1 – 5 |
2–5 |
1958 |
Semi-Final |
| 5. |
29 June 1958 |
Rasunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden |
 Sweden |
1 – 3 |
2–5 |
1958 |
Final |
| 6. |
29 June 1958 |
Rasunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden |
Sweden |
2 – 5 |
2–5 |
1958 |
Final |
| 7. |
30 May 1962 |
Estadio Sausalito, Viña del Mar, Chile |
 Mexico |
2 – 0 |
2–0 |
1962 |
Group Stage |
| 8. |
12 July 1966 |
Goodison Park, Liverpool, England |
 Bulgaria |
1 – 0 |
2–0 |
1966 |
Group Stage |
| 9. |
3 June 1970 |
Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico |
 Czechoslovakia |
2 – 1 |
4–1 |
1970 |
Group Stage |
| 10. |
10 June 1970 |
Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico |
 Romania |
1 – 0 |
3–2 |
1970 |
Group Stage |
| 11. |
10 June 1970 |
Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico |
Romania |
3 – 1 |
3–2 |
1970 |
Group Stage |
| 12. |
21 June 1970 |
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |
 Italy |
1 – 0 |
4–1 |
1970 |
Final |
- Scored 12 goals and provided 8 assists in 14 World Cup appearances, including 4 goals and 6 assists in 1970.[145]
- Pelé and Uwe Seeler are the only two footballers to have scored in four separate FIFA World Cup tournaments.[146]
[147]
- (*) official data by IFFHS.
Number achieved including goals scored in official matches(760) and friendlies (522).[18][148][149]
- Os Estranhos (1969) (TV series)
- O Barão Otelo no Barato dos Bilhões (1971)
- A Marcha (1973)
- Os Trombadinhas (1978)
- Escape to Victory (1981)
- A Minor Miracle (1983)
- Pedro Mico (1985)
- Os Trapalhões e o Rei do Futebol (1986)
- Hotshot (1987)
- Solidão, Uma Linda História de Amor (1990)
- Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)
- ESPN SportsCentury (2004)
- Pelé Eterno (2004) – a documentary about Pelé's career
In 1969 Pelé recorded an EP (33-1/3 RPM 7 inch) titled "Tabelinha", on which sings with Elis Regina and plays guitar. Its two tracks, "Perdão Não Tem" and "Vexamão", were written by Pelé.
- ^ a b c d e Official forename and birth date, as written on his birth certificate, are "Edison" and "21 October 1940":
CERTIDÃO DE NASCIMENTO
CERTIFICO que sob o n° 7.095 às fls. 123 do livro n° 21-A de Registro de Nascimento consta o assento de Edison Arantes do Nascimento nascido aos vinte e um (21) outubro de mil novecentos e quarenta (1940) às 03 horas e --- minutos em esta Cidade de Três Corações sexo masculino filho de João Ramos do Nascimento e de Celeste Arantes
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.
Pelé; Orlando Duarte, Alex Bellos (2006). Pelé : the autobiography. London: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-7432-7582-8. http://books.simonandschuster.com.au/Pele-The-Autobiography/Pele/9781416511212/excerpt_with_id/6070. Retrieved 2 October 2010. "Shortly before I came along, there was another arrival in Três Corações: electricity. In order to celebrate this great improvement to our daily lives, Dondinho named me Edson, a tribute to Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb. In fact, on my birth certificate I am actually called Edison with an 'i', a mistake that persists to this day. I'm Edson with no 'i', but to my eternal annoyance quite often the 'i' appears on official or personal documents and time after time I have to explain why. As if that wasn't confusing enough, they got the date wrong on my birth certificate as well – it says 21 October. I'm not sure how this came about; probably because in Brazil we're not so fussy about accuracy. This is another mistake that carries on to this day. When I took out my first passport, the date was put in as 21 October and each time I have renewed it the date has stayed the same."
- ^ Two very different number tens
- ^ NASL Player Profile – Pele, Nasljerseys.com, http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/P/Pele.htm, retrieved 12 June 2010
- ^ a b c d Edson Arantes do Nascimento "Pelé" – Goals in International Matches Rsssf.com. Retrieved 1 May 2011
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Anibal Massaini Neto (Director/Producer), (2004). Pelé Eterno [Documentary film]. Brazil: Anima Produções Audiovisuais Ltda. International: Universal Studios Home Video.
- ^ http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=1321917.html#what+they+said+about+pele
-Bobby Moore: "Pele was the most complete player I've ever seen," Moore later said. "He had everything. Two good feet. Magic in the air. Quick. Powerful. Could beat people with skill. Could outrun people. Only 5ft 8in tall, yet he seemed a giant of an athlete on the pitch. Perfect balance and impossible vision. He was the greatest because he could do anything and everything on a football pitch. I remember Saldhana the coach being asked by a Brazilian journalist who was the best goalkeeper in his squad. He said Pele. The man could play in any position."
-Ferenc Puskas: “The greatest player in history was Di Stefano. I refuse to classify Pele as a player. He was above that."
-Romario: "Messi has all the conditions to be the best, but first he has to beat Maradona, Romario and then eventually Pele."
-Costa Pereira: “I arrived hoping to stop a great man, but I went away convinced I had been undone by someone who was not born on the same planet as the rest of us." -
-Michel Platini: "There's Pele the man, and then Pele the player. And to play like Pele is to play like God." -
-Eusebio: "Pele played in an era which had so many great players and in that atmosphere he stood out above the others. He was the complete player in every aspect as well as being a kind human being. Cristiano Ronaldo is young yet, and has many years ahead of himself. But as of now, I do not see anyone who can compare with Pele"
-Johan Cruyff: "Pele was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic." -
-Sir Bobby Charlton: “I sometimes feel as though football was invented for this magical player." -
-Tostao: "Pele was the greatest – he was simply flawless. And off the pitch he is always smiling and upbeat. You never see him bad-tempered. He loves being Pele." -
-Zico: "This debate about the player of the century is absurd. There's only one possible answer: Pele. He's the greatest player of all time, and by some distance I might add." -
-Franz Beckenbauer: "Pele is the greatest player of all time. He reigned supreme for 20 years. All the others - Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini - rank beneath him. There's no one to compare with Pele." -
-Tarcisio Burgnich: "Before the match, I told myself that Pele was just flesh and bones like the rest of us. Later I realised I'd been wrong." -
-Cesar Luis Menotti: "The best of all was Pele, who is a mixture of Di Stefano, Maradona, Cruyff and Leo Messi." -
-Gianni Rivera: "However, I do think there's someone who was even better(than Messi) and that's Pele. He used both feet on the pitch. He was as dangerous with his right as he was with his left. He was strong in the air as well, and created a lot of chances."
-Mario Zagallo: "Pele represented everything in soccer because of what he has done on the pitch."-
-Ronaldo: "Pele is the greatest player in football history, and there would only be one Pele in the world."
- ^ "The Best of The Best". Rsssf.com. 19 June 2009. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/bestbest.html. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ "IFFHS' Century Elections". Rsssf.com. 30 January 2000. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html#world. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ "The Best x Players of the Century/All-Time". Rsssf.com. 5 February 2001. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/best-x-players-of-y.html#ff-poc. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ Pele tops World Cup legends poll BBC News. Retrieved 12 June 2010
- ^ Over 50 per cent of Goal.com UK readers believe Brazilian legend Pele was a greater player than Diego Maradona Goal.com. Retrieved 1 May 2011
- ^ World Soccer Players of the Century England Football Online Retrieved 1 May 2011
- ^ THE LIST: The greatest players in the history of football Daily Mail. Retrieved 1 May 2011
- ^ a b "Pelé still in global demand". CNN Sports Illustrated. 29 May 2002. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/world/2002/world_cup/news/2002/05/29/pele_icon/. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
- ^ http://www.iffhs.de/?7e4a952bd814fc4d813e8a81be4ac0385fdcdc3bfcdc0aec70aeecf8a3c0d84411
- ^ PELÉ: The King of Football FIFA.com. Retrieved 1 May 2011
- ^ a b http://pele.m-qp-m.us/english/pele_statistics.shtml
- ^ a b Pelé (Brazilian Athlete) Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ Harris, Harry (2002), Pelé: his life and times. p.190. Welcome Rain Publishers, Retrieved 27 June 2011
- ^ "Pelé, King of Futbol". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Pele.html. Retrieved 1 October 2006.
- ^ "Dedico este gol às criancinhas". Gazeta Esportiva. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071218203103/http://www.gazetaesportiva.net/almanaque/futebol/pele_1000gols/abertura.htm. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
- ^ Various from many of his biographies, See for example [1] 3rd section, last line: " 'The King' was given to Pelé by the French press in 1961 after he played a few matches with SFC in Europe" Or the already quote [2] Or the book "Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El rey del futbol – Monica Brown (Author) & Rudy Gutierrez (Illustrator) Rayo Publishing Dec.2008 ISBN 978-0-06-122779-0 "
- ^ a b "The Time 100, Heroes and icons — Pelé". TIME. 14 June 1999. http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/pele01.html. Retrieved 1 October 2006.
- ^ (Spanish) "Competiciones, Copa Santander Libertadores". CONMEBOL. 18 May 2010. Archived from the original on 12 May 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100512141453/http://www.conmebol.com/conmebol/competitionsConf.html?secId=5. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ^ a b "Pelé". Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/449124/Pele. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Arantes, Edson (2007). My Life and the Beautiful Game: The Autobiography of Pele. Skyhorse Publishing. p. 234. ISBN 1602391963.
- ^ "Pelé and Maradona - two very different number tens". FIFA.com. FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/news/newsid=76134/index.html. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "Football Legends". Footballegends.com. http://www.footballlegends.net. Retrieved 6 Sep 2011.
- ^ a b 10 World Cup Gods! Our look at the best of the best in World Cup history Mail Online. Retrieved 10 May 2011
- ^ "Pele and Greaves to get World Cup winners medals". The Guardian (Paragraph 3). 25 November 2007. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/nov/25/newsstory.sport9. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ a b Bell, Jack (1 August 2010). "Cosmos Begin Anew, With Eye Toward M.L.S". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/sports/soccer/02cosmos.html. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
- ^ a b c d Robert L. Fish; Pelé (1977). My Life and The Beautiful Game: The Autobiography of Pelé, Chapter 2. Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, New York. ISBN 0-385-12185-7
- ^ "Un siglo, diez historias" (in Spanish). BBC. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/spanish/seriemilenio08.htm. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
- ^ "Edson Arantes Do Nascimento Pelé". UNESCO. http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8322&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
- ^ "From Edson to Pelé: my changing identity". Article by The Guardian (London). 13 May 2006. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/may/13/sport.comment9. Retrieved 1 October 2006.
- ^ "Taking the Pelé". Article by BBC Online. 4 January 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4578032.stm. Retrieved 1 July 2010. "word had no meaning in Portuguese so he presumed it was an insult, but recently he has found out that it means miracle in Hebrew."
- ^ "Pelé biography". Article by Soccerpulse.com. http://www.soccerpulse.com/view_legends.php?id=10. Retrieved 1 October 2006.
- ^ Pelé – International Football Hall of Fame Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ Pelé; Orlando Duarte, Alex Bellos (2006). Pelé: the autobiography. London: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7432-7582-8.
- ^ The PELE Treasury – IOC Athlete of the 20th Century – The King of Football Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ Diário Lance – www.lancenet.com.br. "// O Campeão da Rede". Lancenet. http://www.lancenet.com.br/noticias/07-10-29/183561.stm. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ "Biography — Edson Arantes "Pelé" Nascimento". Article on frontfoot.co.za. http://www.frontfoot.co.za/pelefull.php?qr=pelebio. Retrieved 1 October 2006.
- ^ Artilheiros da história Folha Online. Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ Matches which decided Rio-São Paulo Tournament RSSSF. Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ Torneio Rio-São Paulo 1960 RSSSF. Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ Santos revive spirit of Pelé BBC Sport Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ a b Intercontinental Cups 1962 and 1963 FIFA Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ Will South Africa 2010 produce a new Pele? BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ Copa Libertadores – Topscorers Rsssf.com. Retrieved 10 May 2011
- ^ a b Remembering Pele's gol de placa FIFA Retrieved 10 May 2011
- ^ Bellos, Alex (2002). Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 244. ISBN 0-7475-6179-6.
- ^ "Ultimate Feats of Fitness". Article by Men's Fitness. 2006. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_2_22/ai_n16071178/pg_1. Retrieved 1 October 2006.
- ^ Santos – Pelé edges Eusebio as Santos defend title FIFA Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ Happy 70th Birthday – A Video Tribute To Pelé Goal.com. Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ a b New York Cosmos picture special: The original stars and stripes Mail Online. Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ Seven the number for Pele FIFA. Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ a b "Top 10: Young sporting champions". Daily Telegraph. UK. 28 October 2008. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/3280088/Top-10-Young-sporting-champions.html. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ Pele: The greatest football player ever MSN. Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ (Portuguese) "Copa 1958". Consulted on 23 October 2010.
- ^ The mark was surpassed by Northern Ireland's Norman Whiteside in the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
- ^ Sweden 1958: Pele's genius propels Brazil to first title The Independent Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ World Cup hat-trick top 10: The first, quickest, oldest, youngest tournament trebles The Mirror Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ FIFA World Cup Goal of the Century FIFA Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ a b c d e Pelé – I was there FIFA. Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ a b c d 1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden FIFA.com. Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ (Portuguese) Copa do Mundo de 1958 na Suécia. Consulted on 23 October 2010.
- ^ (Portuguese)[http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=63869/index.html.Consulted on 26 October 2011.
- ^ (Portuguese) "Nasce Uma Lenda". Consulted on 23 October 2010.
- ^ "Pele Great Goal – Video". Metacafe.com. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/93110/pele_great_goal/. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ Glenn Moore (3 June 2006) Pele: The Greatest The Independent Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ a b c Portrait of Pele – Never-Seen: Pelé's 1966 World Cup LIFE. p.1,7. Retrieved 8 May 2011
- ^ a b 1966 FIFA World Cup England FIFA Retrieved 8 May 2011
- ^ "Brazil in the 1966 World Cup – England". V-brazil.com. http://www.v-brazil.com/culture/sports/world-cup/1966-England.html. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ a b World Cup final: 10 top World Cup refereeing errors The Telegraph Retrieved 8 May 2011
- ^ "PELE – International Football Hall of Fame". Ifhof.com. http://www.ifhof.com/hof/pele.asp. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ Brazil 'best ever' says Five Live BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ a b The boys from Brazil: On the trail of football's dream team The Independent. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
- ^ a b Mexico 1970: Brazilians show all how beautiful game should be played Sky Sports. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ 1970 Brazilian Soccer Team Voted Best Ever The New York Times. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ The greatest teams of all time The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ The 10 greatest football teams of all time Daily Mail. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ a b The Greatest? For Century, Pele Eclipses Muhammad Ali The New York Times. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ Hattenstone, Simon (30 June 2003). "And God created Pelé". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2003/jun/30/sport.comment. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ The 100 greatest World Cup moments: (No.18) The Independent Retrieved 13 May 2011.
- ^ Memorable Celebrations 1: Pele's iconic leap of joy after scoring Brazil's century goal Goal Retrieved 8 May 2011.
- ^ Benson, Andrew (2 June 2006) The perfect goal BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ Football First XI: Best goals ever CNN. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
- ^ Brazil's heroes of 1970 relive their days of glory FIFA.com. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ Pelé, King of futbol, ESPN. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d 70 Facts About Brazil Legend Football Icon Pele On His 70th Birthday Goal Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ Garrincha's bio at the International Football Hall of Fame web site.
- ^ a b South American Championship 1959, Scorers' List RSSSF. Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ a b Pelé Away From the Pitch LIFE. Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ Xuxa, Pelé e a Playboy Muita Pimenta Retrieved 12 July 2011
- ^ Pelé foi investigado pela ditadura na década de 1970
- ^ Official website of Prime Licensing. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
- ^ a b World Sport Humanitarian Hall of Fame Inductees – Pelé Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ Reasons why Rio is the right Olympic choice CBC Retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ UNICEF denies Pele corruption reports Reuters Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ Pelé slips from Brazil pedestal, The Observer, 25 November 2001.
- ^ Education: Sir Pele lends his support The Independent Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ Pelé scouts for Fulham, BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2006.
- ^ More than just a draw, FIFAWorldCup.com, 9 December 2005. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
- ^ "Pelé signs deal...to raise the profile of viagra!". The Age (Melbourne). 8 February 2005. http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Love-is-the-drug/2005/02/07/1107625131844.html.
- ^ "Pelé joins Sheffield celebrations". BBC Sport. 9 November 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7081034.stm. Retrieved 9 November 2007.
- ^ "Pelé in Academy of Champions Wii game". IncGamers News. http://www.incgamers.com/News/16532/UbisNewFootballGameFeaturingPel. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
- ^ Santos want Brazil legend Pele to play in Club World Cup Goal.com. Retrieved 14 October 2011
- ^ The 1973 Paulista was held jointly with Portuguesa.
- ^ Pelé – Títulos Santos Futebol Clube. Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ The 1964 Torneio Rio-São Paulo was held jointly with Botafogo.
- ^ "Santos Futebol Clube – Site Oficial". Santos.globo.com. http://santos.globo.com/clube_historia_ptitulos.php?cod=10441#topo_chis. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/matchreport/newsid=512321.html
- ^ http://www.rsssf.com/sacups/supcopa68.html
- ^ Pelé: ENGLAND ARE WORLD CUP THREAT, Sportinglife.com. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
- ^ South American Player of the Year 1973 RSSSF. Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ "Hall of Famer Spotlight ... Pelé". Soccerhall.com. http://www.soccerhall.com/Spotlight%20HallofFamer/Pele_spotlight.htm. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ KBE#Notable honorary recipients
- ^ a b (in Russian)USSR Philately (Moscow) (1): 1. January 1990. ISSN 0130—5689. – photo of this postage stamp
- ^ Henry Kissinger (14 Jun. 1999) Time 100 – PELE: The Phenomenon Time. Retrieved 22 May 2010
- ^ "PELÉ (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) - The King of football". FIFA.com. In section 'Individual' of the right hand sidebar: FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=63869/index.html. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- ^ The 20th Century boys BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ Split Decision – Pele, Maradona each win FIFA century awards after feud CNN Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 6 May 2011
- ^ "The Best of the Best". RecSportSoccerStatisticsFoundation. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/bestbest.html.
- ^ Various sources accept that Pelé scored 1281 goals in 1363 games. See, for example, the FIFA website.[3] Some sources, however, claim that Pelé scored 1282 goals in 1366 games.[4]
- ^ For a full list of Pelé's goals which details the teams he played for, see [5]. The international tours Pelé took part in for Santos and Cosmos are detailed at http://www.rsssf.com: http://paginas.terra.com.br/esporte/rsssfbrasil/historical.htm#friendli, and the American Soccer History Archives: http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/index.html (click on a year and then scroll down to the bottom of the page to see friendly tournaments), respectively.
- ^ As friendly matches are not counted in official statistics, this is what Pelé's goal total should be after friendly matches are disregarded.
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/historicse.htm#sp
- ^ a b All statistics relating to Pelé's goalscoring record between 1957 and 1974 in the SPS, RSPS, and Campeonato Brasileiro are taken from http://soccer-europe.com/Biographies/Pele.html. Soccer Europe compiled this list from http://www.rsssf.com (The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation). For a full list of Pelé's goals see http://pele.m-qp-m.us/english/pele_statistics.shtml.
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesrz/rgpcamp.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesae/brcuphst.htm
- ^ Pelé's first two matches for Santos are assumed here to be friendlies. No record of them exists in any of the tournaments listed at rsssf.com.
- ^ In 1957 the São Paulo championship was split into two halves, Série Azul and Série Branca. In the first half Pelé scored 19 goals in 14 games, and then in Série Azul he scored 17 goals in 15 games. See http://paginas.terra.com.br/esporte/rsssfbrasil/tables/sp1957.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesrz/sp1958.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesrz/sp1959.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesae/cbr1959.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesrz/sp1960.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesae/cbr1960.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesrz/sp1961.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesrz/sp1962.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesae/cbr1963.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesrz/rgp1967.htm
- ^ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesrz/rgp1968.htm
- ^ Totalised statistics relating to Pelé's record between 1957 and 1974 in the Taça de Prata, Taça Brasil and Copa Libertadores are taken from http://soccer-europe.com/Biographies/Pele.html. Soccer Europe compiled this list from http://www.rsssf.com (The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation), but do not give a season-by-season breakdown. For a full list of Pelé's goals see http://pele.m-qp-m.us/english/pele_statistics.shtml.
- ^ http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pele-helps-brazil-to-world-cup-title
- ^ http://www.planetworldcup.com/LEGENDS/seeler.html
- ^ http://www.santosfc.com.br/upload/site/Jogos%20e%20gols%20de%20Pelé%20pelo%20Santos%20FC.pdf
- ^ http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=63869/index.html
- ^ http://www.santosfc.com.br/pele/conteudo.asp?id=27683
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Awards
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| Best Player |
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| Golden Ball |
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Golden Ball was first awarded in 1982. |
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Best Young Player was first awarded in 1958. |
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Arantes do Nascimento, Edison |
| Alternative names |
Pelé |
| Short description |
Football (soccer) player |
| Date of birth |
21 or 23 October 1940 |
| Place of birth |
Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| Date of death |
11 November 2011 |
| Place of death |
|
lez:Пеле
![Francesco Totti,is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most capped player in the club's history. He is considered as one of the finest players in his generation[2] and also Roma's greatest player ever.[3] A 2006 World Cup winner and Euro 2000 finalist, Totti was selected in the A](http://web.archive.org./web/20120914060205/http://cdn5.wn.com/pd/72/66/3721e0fbd91642d4a31c6f00390d_medium.jpg "Francesco Totti,is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most capped player in the club's history. He is considered as one of the finest players in his generation[2] and also Roma's greatest player ever.[3] A 2006 World Cup winner and Euro 2000 finalist, Totti was selected in the A")
