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Pele, a former Brazilian footballer, is thought by many to be the greatest footballer in history. Pele is his nickname; he was born in Brazil with the given name of Edison (Edson) Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940. While his birth certificate reads that his first name is Edison, his preference is Edson, but Pele is the name that this sports legend is known by.
Pele, a former Brazilian footballer, is thought by many to be the greatest footballer in history. Pele is his nickname; he was born in Brazil with the given name of Edison (Edson) Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940. While his birth certificate reads that his first name is Edison, his preference is Edson, but Pele is the name that this sports legend is known by. The game seems nearly inconceivable without him. Pele is a man who seems to have been born to play football. His ball control and speed were both unparalleled; particularly his one of a kind passing skills. Fans serious and casual alike relished every opportunity to watch Pele. It seemed that miraculous plays were in store every time Pele had the ball. In his career, Pele scored 1,283 goals, 12 during World Cup tournaments (in 1958, 1968 and 1970). At the time, Pele was the only player to ever win three World Cup trophies. Pele was discovered and nurtured by Waldemar de Brito, who began coaching him in 1954. In a mere two years, he began playing professionally and by 1957, Pele was in a starting position on Santos. The same year, Pele won a World Cup - by 1962, he was fielding (and considering) offers from European clubs. The Brazilian government, fearing that Pele would leave for greener pastures, declared him a national treasure, which effectively prevented him from going to a team outside of the country. Pele played for the team until 1972, at which point he entered semi-retirement, playing only in especially tough games. In 1975, he came out of retirement to play for the New York Cosmos, a part of the North American League. Some said Pele was past his prime, but there is no doubt that he generated a lot of interest in the game amongst Americans and had the last laugh when he led the Cosmos to a NASL championship in 1977 during his last season. Pele still holds a legendary status in Brazil and his fame lives on worldwide. The contributions Pele made to football led to his being named ambassador of football to the world by FIFA. Using his fame both to increase interest in football and well as to raise awareness of the plight of the less privileged around the world, Pele is universally acknowledged as the King of Football, along with being a American Soccer National Soccer Hall of Famer. DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice. Looking for sports information? Check out http://nothingbutsports.info for the lastest news. http://nothingbutsports.info |