Skip to main content

FunTimes Magazine

Pele - The Soccer Legend

Dec 28, 2022 10:00AM ● By Burns Johnson
Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pele was born October 23, 1940 in Tres Coracoes, a small town in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil.

He was named Edson, after Thomas Edison, because electricity had just been introduced to his hometown in Brazil when he was born. He received the nickname "Pelé" during his school days.

Pele started his career at Club Santo in Brazil, at the age of 16, and in 1958 when he turned 18, he won the 
World Cup. The same year, he paused his career to join the Brazilian Army and has since then been referred to as "The man who stopped a war".


 


Pele went on an excursion to Africa. Playing in 
Nigeria during the civil war, both sides had a three-day ceasefire so they could see Pele's team play.


 


During his international career, he won three 
FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962, and 1970, the only player to do so. He was nicknamed "O Rei" meaning "The King" following the 1958 tournament.


 


Pelé is the joint-top goal scorer for Brazil with 77 goals in 92 games. His electrifying play and penchant for scoring spectacular goals made him a star around the world. He led Brazil to three World Cup football (soccer) championships (1958, 1962, and 1970). He scored 12 goals in World Cup play and tallied more than 1,000 goals in first-class matches.



 


Pele scored 1,283 goals throughout his career and retired in 1977.

He was appointed Brazil's minister of sports and held the position for 3 years. During his ministerial appointment, he enacted the "Pele Law" which brought more incentives and transparency to how federal money was spent on sports.




More FunTimes articles about soccer:


Top 5 African Soccer Coaches

Top 5 African Soccer Coaches

Numerous African coaches have made significant contributions to the development of sports worldwide. Let's look at some of the top coaches in African football or soccer over the years. Read More » 

 

5 Famous African Soccer Players

Africa has provided world football with some famous players who have created magic for their clubs and countries throughout the years. Read More » 

 

pImage by Riadhriadh2004Image by Riadhriadh2004brp

Throwing Bananas: Lack of Progress in Racism Towards African & African Diasporan Soccer Players, and Redirection of Focus

Racism in the soccer industry is not new to the world. However, its persistence, and the lack of infrastructure put behind reform, begs the question: does the European soccer industry lov... Read More » 

  

Philadelphia hosts World Cup 2026 - 5 opportunities for Black businesses

Philadelphia hosts World Cup 2026 - 5 opportunities for Black businesses

With an estimated 5 million visitors expected to descend on Philadelphia during the tournament, there will be a huge demand for goods and services. Read More » 

 



 Immanuel Burns Johnson is a young and dedicated social media personnel. He was born, raised and schooled in Lagos, Nigeria. His hobbies include traveling, sports, political criticism and mobile games like C.O.D.M. Apart from these; he is also interested in skydiving and aeronautics. He is skilled in web coding and has a trait of hard work. This has helped him become successful in his field at a young age.