Pelé
The legendary sports genius and greatest
footballer of all times, the iconic Brazilian footballer Edson Arantesdo
Nascimento, globally known as PELE, passed on into immortality on December 29,
2022, aged 82, after a prolonged battle with cancer. For millions around the world,
football became what Pele made it mean.
Pele, the ‘Black Pearl’, ‘Man with the Golden
Feet’ and undisputed ‘King of Football’ was born on October 23, 1940 in Tres
Coracoes, Brazil, as the elder of two children of Dondinhodo Nascimento, a
footballer, and his wife, Celeste Arantes. He was named Edson, after the inventor
Thomas Alva Edison. Edson’s childhood was spent in poverty in a low-income neighbourhood
in Sao Paolo, where the only source of entertainment available to a young boy
was football. He took to the game like a fish to water, playing barefoot on the
streets for hours with his friends, using a makeshift ball fashioned from a
newspaper stuffed into a sock. He also contributed to the family income by
polishing shoes and waiting tables at the local teashop; however, every spare minute
was spent on the street football matches. The magic of the game made him forget
the pains of poverty and deprivation. At some point, he acquired the name
‘Pele’, by which name he became internationally renowned. However, he does not remember
how exactly the name came about. A legend goes that it was his mispronounced version
of Bile, a fellow player’s name, which his friends picked up on and started
using to tease him. Ultimately, the name stuck! In his teens, Pele started
playing for a local league club. Here, he was spotted by Valdemar deBrito, a
national-level footballer, who was impressed by his skills and introduced him
to the directors of Santos; a famous Brazilian league football club. Santos
signed him on, and his brilliant performance in their matches soon marked him
out as a future star.
Pele was only 16 when he was called to join the
Brazilian national team. Playing his first international match against Argentina,
he scored the first of his many goals, becoming Brazil’s youngest-ever goal scorer
at the age of 16 years and 9 months.
In 1958, Pele went to Sweden to play in the World
Cup, the youngest player of that tournament and at that time the youngest ever
to play in the World Cup. He achieved a hat-trick against France in the semi-finals
and scored two electrifying goals in the final against Sweden, which Brazil won
5:2. By the time the World Cup ended, Pele had become a household name across
the world. His popularity was so great that the Brazilian government declared
him a national treasure to ensure that he would continue to play for Brazil,
and not be lured away by any of the big European clubs. Back in Brazil, Pele’s
winning streak continued with Santos. In 1958, he set a record as top scorer of
Sao Paulo’s Campeonato Paulista football championship with 58 goals – a record
that remains unbroken. His overall contribution to Santos was an astounding 643
goals in 659 games!
By the time of the 1962 World Cup, Pele was the
best rated player in the world. However, an injury in an early match forced him
out the rest of the tournament. In the 1966 World Cup, Pele was singled out for
rough treatment by Bulgarian and Hungarian players. He became the target of
vicious fouls that prevented him from scoring. In spite of this crushing disappointment,
he made a spectacular comeback in the1970 World Cup, scoring several memorable
goals and helping his team beat Italy in the final and lifts the cup.
A small incident serves as a measure of Pele’s
popularity worldwide. In 1967, the arrival of his team in Nigeria in the midst of
a civil war raging in that nation caused the declaration of a 48 hour
cease-fire - just so that everyone could watch the legend in action!
Pelé was a whizz in striking the ball with either
foot, as well as anticipating the movements of his opponents’ on the field. Although
chiefly a striker, he could also drop deep and take on a playmaking role,
providing needed support with his vision and passing ability. He would also use
his great dribbling skills to go past opponents. He helped the Brazilian team
win three FIFA World Cup titles (1958, 1962 and 1970) and remains the only
player in history to achieve this feat. Famous for his two-footed play, rapid pace,
and high stamina, Pele was Brazil’s star No. 10 forward.
Pele, who bamboozled defenders not just with
skill, but also with speed and intelligence, retired from international
football in 1974. He is also credited with significantly increasing public interest
in football the world over. This was by sheerly being brilliant, captivating
crowds, and doing wonders with his feet that mesmerised watchers.
Awards and honours won by Pele include the
International Peace Award and nomination as Athlete of the Century. After his retirement,
he campaigned extensively for social causes in addition to serving as a sports ambassador.
Pele was also fortunate to watch the greatest of all 2022 FIFA World Cup
Football tournament and applauded the winning team on Instagram, saying“Congratulations
Argentina! Certainly Diego is smiling now”. He added, “Today, football continues
to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way; Messi winning his first
World Cup, as his trajectory deserved. What a gift it was to watch this spectacle
to the future of our sport.”
After retiring, Pelé composed music, wrote several books about his life, and appeared in a number of films. He also worked for children’s causes. During his career Pelé played in 1,363 games and scored 1,281 goals. By overcoming the obstacles of poverty to rise to the heights of sporting eminence, Pele, and his great football legacy, remains a source of inspiration for the poorest and most disadvantaged people all over the world. Moreover, as long as there is football, every player and football lover will pay homage to the genius who immortalized this game and has now ‘kicked off’ into eternity.
