Whenever we think about soccer, we think of Pelé. Whenever we think about Brazil, we think of Pelé.

That's how great his image is. He may not be as recognized outside Brazil as he is there, but no one can deny that he has changed the way the game is played. You just can't ignore his legacy, and we are here to investigate him, the King of soccer. 

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Before we look at his amazing career, let's meet his origins. Born in 1940, Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pelé) grew up in a small city in the State of Minas Gerais. He was born in a very disadvantaged family. His father, João Ramos, also known as Dondinho, was a soccer player as well, but unlike his son, he wasn't a star and struggled to get the family money. His mother Dona Celeste would stay at home and work the chores. He always knew that we wanted to play soccer and he knew his greatest dream, to win the World Cup with Brazil. When younger Pelé found his father crying as Brazil lost the World Cup in 1950, he promised to win one for him. 

Four years later, Edson had tryouts to play for Santos. He passed and was already with the professional soccer team. He scored his first goal before even turning 16! His first season, he was the top scorer of the league and he found himself suddenly  called to the national Brazillian team! It was an entrance to the soccer world unlike any before it. In Brazil, he was already incredible, but the world met him in 1958 at the world cup in Sweden. Brazil had been through bad years in the world cup. It was a team that lacked confidence. But the boy shaped the competition, becoming the youngest player to ever score in the world cup. He scored a hat-trick in the semifinals against France, and two more in the finals, winning the trophy!

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At 17 years old, he had already conquered the world and fulfilled his promise to his father. But if you thought he had already finished, quite the opposite, he had just started. In 1962, Brazil led by Pelé, won their second title. It was beautiful soccer. Pelé might have been the best, but teamwork between the stars was the definition of that team. Before the 1966 World Cup, Pelé led Santos to win two Copa Libertadores, and became the champions of the World twice in the clubs competitions, which were considered the most difficult trophies to get.

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In 1966, Pelé got injured during the world cup, which led to a Brazil elimination. Although it was frustrating, he would still rise. The whole world would stop to watch his games. In fact, a couple of years later, the Nigerian Civil War had a 48 hour ceasefire agreement so they could watch him play! In 1970, Brazil at full strength won the World Cup, leaving no chance for any other teams to even blink during the game. The finals against Italy was 4-1, which can be considered a small humiliation in the soccer world.

After that, Pelé's career as a soccer player wasn't the same. He would still be the top scorer in his leagues, but he couldn't win another world cup in Brazil in 1974, and he wanted to retire. Being at a young age for retirement, he was contracted by New York Cosmos, and played for three years there, having his last game in 1977. He is still the only player that has ever won 3 world cups, and he holds the record of the greatest scorer in the history of the game, managing to score 1281 goals! In 1999, he was elected Co - Player of the Century, tied with Diego Maradona, another soccer legend.

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If you think he was done when his soccer career ended, you are wrong again. One year after his retirement, he won the International Peace Award for his work with UNICEF. He was Brazil's Minister of Sports and an ambassador for the United States for ecology and environment! He has been present for politics in Brazil to help inequality, has helped UNICEF and became not only an inspiration for soccer, but also an inspiration for who to be as a person. He didn't have much when he was born, but he conquered the world and achieved all of his dreams, his parents' dreams and helped others achieve theirs too. 

 

He is the real King. He is Pelé.