Biography and Wiki
Pelé was born on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Brazil, as Edson Arantes do Nascimento. He is the son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho and Celeste Arantes. Growing up in poverty, Pelé began playing football at a young age, often using makeshift balls. His father taught him the game, and he quickly rose through the ranks of Brazilian football, becoming one of the greatest players of all time. Pelé passed away on December 29, 2022, at the age of 82.
| Occupation | Autobiographer |
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| Date of Birth | 23 October 1940 |
| Age | 84 Years |
| Birth Place | N/A |
| Horoscope | Libra |
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| Date of death | 29 December, 2022 |
| Died Place | N/A |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Pelé stands at a height of 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in), a stature that belied his incredible physical prowess and skill on the field. His weight was typically around 70 kg (154 lbs) during his playing career, which was relatively lean and agile for his build.
| Height | 70 m |
| Weight | 154 lbs |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Pelé was married three times and had seven children. His personal life was as colorful as his football career, with multiple marriages and relationships. He married Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi in 1966, Assíria Nascimento in 1994 (whom he divorced in 2008), and Marcia Aoki in 2016.
He was the elder of two siblings, with brother Zoca also playing for Santos, albeit not as successfully. He was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison. His parents decided to remove the "i" and call him "Edson", but there was a typo on his birth certificate, leading many documents to show his name as "Edison", not "Edson", as he was called. He was originally nicknamed "Dico" by his family. He received the nickname "Pelé" during his school days, it is claimed, after mispronouncing the name of his favourite player, Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé. In his autobiography released in 2006, Pelé stated he had no idea what the name means, nor did his old friends, and the word has no meaning in Portuguese. He would later learn it means "miracle" (פֶּלֶא) in Hebrew.
Pelé grew up in poverty in Bauru in the state of São Paulo. He earned extra money by working in tea shops as a servant. Taught to play by his father, he could not afford a proper football and usually played with either a sock stuffed with newspaper and tied with string or a grapefruit. He played for several amateur teams in his youth, including Sete de Setembro, Canto do Rio, São Paulinho, and Ameriquinha. Pelé led Bauru Atlético Clube juniors (coached by Waldemar de Brito) to two São Paulo state youth championships. In his mid-teens, he played for an indoor football team called Radium. Indoor football had just become popular in Bauru when Pelé began playing it. He was part of the first futsal (indoor football) competition in the region. Pelé and his team won the first championship and several others.
On 1 October 1977, Pelé closed out his career in an exhibition match between the Cosmos and Santos. The match was played in front of a sold-out crowd at Giants Stadium and was televised in the US 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 Muhammad Ali and Bobby Moore. Delivering a message to the audience before the start of the game – "Love is more important than what we can take in life" – Pelé played the first half with the Cosmos, the second with Santos. The game ended with the Cosmos winning 2–1, with Pelé scoring with a 30-yard free-kick for the Cosmos in what was the final goal of his career. During the second half, it started to rain, prompting a Brazilian newspaper to come out with the headline the following day: "Even The Sky Was Crying."
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Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death, Pelé's net worth was estimated to be around $100 million. During his peak in the mid-1970s, he was the highest-paid athlete globally, earning approximately $10 million annually in today's dollars through salary and endorsements. His income was significantly boosted by endorsement deals rather than just his football salary.
Career, Business and Investments
Pelé's career is a testament to his dedication and talent. He played for Santos FC from 1956 to 1974 and New York Cosmos from 1975 to 1977. He is renowned as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, known for his incredible speed, skill, and scoring ability. After retiring, Pelé remained involved in football through various ambassadorial roles and endorsement deals, including partnerships with Puma and other major brands.
Pelé began playing for Santos at age 15 and the Brazil national team at 16. During his international career, he won three FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962 and 1970, the only player to do so and the youngest player to win a World Cup (17). He was nicknamed O Rei (The King) following the 1958 tournament. With 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil, Pelé held the record as the national team's top goalscorer for over fifty years. At club level, he is Santos's all-time top goalscorer with 643 goals in 659 games. In a golden era for Santos, he 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.
Pelé averaged almost a goal per game throughout his career and could strike the ball with either foot, as well as being able to anticipate his opponents' movements. While predominantly a striker, he could also be a playmaker, providing assists with his vision and passing ability. He would often use his dribbling skills to go past opponents. In Brazil, he was hailed as a national hero for his accomplishments in football and for his outspoken support of policies that improve the social conditions of the poor. His emergence at the 1958 World Cup, where he became a black global sporting star, was a source of inspiration. Throughout his career and in his retirement, Pelé received numerous individual and team awards for his performance on the field, his record-breaking achievements, and his legacy in the sport.
In 1956, de Brito took Pelé to Santos, an industrial and port city located near São Paulo, to try out for professional club Santos FC, telling the club's directors that the 15-year-old would be "the greatest football player in the world". Pelé impressed Santos coach Lula during his trial at the Estádio Vila Belmiro, and he signed a professional contract with the club in June 1956. Pelé was highly promoted in the local media as a future superstar. He made his senior team debut on 7 September 1956 at the age of 15 against Corinthians de Santo André and had an impressive performance in a 7–1 victory, scoring the first goal in his prolific career during the match.
Santos's most successful Copa Libertadores season started in 1962; the team was seeded in Group One alongside Cerro Porteño and Deportivo Municipal Bolivia, winning every match of their group but one (a 1–1 away tie versus Cerro). Santos defeated Universidad Católica in the semi-finals and met defending champions Peñarol in the finals. Pelé scored twice in the playoff match to secure the first title for a Brazilian club. Pelé finished as the second top scorer of the competition with four goals. That same year, Santos would successfully defend the Campeonato Paulista (with 37 goals from Pelé) and the Taça Brasil (Pelé scoring four goals in the final series against Botafogo). Santos would also win the 1962 Intercontinental Cup against Benfica. Wearing his number 10 shirt, Pelé produced one of the best performances of his career, scoring a hat-trick in Lisbon as Santos won 5–2.
Pelé led the Cosmos to the 1977 Soccer Bowl, in his third and final season with the club. In June 1977, the Cosmos attracted an NASL record 62,394 fans to Giants Stadium for a 3–0 victory past the Tampa Bay Rowdies with a 37-year-old Pelé scoring a hat-trick. In the first leg of the quarter-finals, they attracted a US record crowd of 77,891 for what turned into an 8–3 rout of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Giants Stadium. In the second leg of the semi-finals against the Rochester Lancers, the Cosmos won 4–1. Pelé finished his official playing career on 28 August 1977, by leading the New York Cosmos to their second Soccer Bowl title with a 2–1 win over the Seattle Sounders at the Civic Stadium in Portland, Oregon.
Social Network
Pelé was active on social media platforms like Twitter, where he had a significant following. His presence on these platforms was a testament to his enduring popularity and influence in the world of sports.
Various sources have said that the two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire in 1969 so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos. An early source for this story was Ebony magazine in 1975. Santos ended up playing to a 2–2 draw with Lagos side Stationary Stores FC and Pelé scored his team's goals. The civil war went on for one more year after this game. In his autobiography, Pelé was unsure that there was a ceasefire, but said that there was an increased security presence at the game. Some sources, including Santos's website, say that the ceasefire was instead for the friendly in Benin City, bordering Biafra. Local researchers have not found contemporary reports of any ceasefire.
When she asked what was going on and who was this person, whom she did not know because she did not like football, the hotel staff told her that he was the famous Brazilian football player, and that the hotel was crowded with his fans who wanted to see him. Zubaida Tharwat stated that after he saw her for the first time inside the hotel where they happened to be, he kept chasing her day and night, and wanted to take her with him to Brazil. By chance, the next stop for Pelé's tour was to Cairo, and he met again with Tharwat, who stated that she could not communicate with him as he did not speak English at the time.
On 29 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 that final as Brazil beat Sweden 5–2 in Stockholm, the capital. Pelé hit the post and then Vavá scored two goals to give Brazil the lead. Pelé's first goal, where he flicked the ball over a defender before volleying into the corner of the net, was selected as one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup. 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". When the match ended, Pelé passed out on the field, and was revived by Garrincha. He then recovered, and was compelled by the victory to weep 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 best young player of the tournament. His impact was arguably greater off the field, with Barney Ronay writing, "With nothing but talent to guide him, the boy from Minas Gerais became the first black global sporting superstar, and a source of genuine uplift and inspiration."
Education
Pelé's formal education was limited due to his early focus on football. However, his experiences in the sport have made him a global ambassador for Brazilian culture and football, teaching millions about the beauty and skill of the game through his legacy.
Pelé's life and career are a testament to his passion, resilience, and incredible talent, leaving a lasting impact on the world of football and beyond.
