{"id":1275,"date":"2022-12-30T21:21:24","date_gmt":"2022-12-30T15:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thecord.in\/?p=1275"},"modified":"2024-05-15T17:05:53","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T11:35:53","slug":"legacy-of-pele-the-greatest-footballer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecord.in\/?p=1275","title":{"rendered":"Legacy of Pele – The Greatest Footballer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Edson Arantes do Nascimento,<\/strong> better known by the name Pel\u00e9, the greatest football player in history, passed away on Thursday at the age of 82.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pel\u00e9 won 37 titles during his brilliant career, which lasted just over 20 years, and set an all-time record of 1,279 goals. He is the only athlete in history to win three World Cup titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why was he called Pel\u00e9?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pel\u00e9 was a soccer player who became one of the sport\u2019s most recognisable figures. What about his name, though?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joao Ramos do Nascimento<\/strong>, better known by his on-field moniker Dondinho, was the father of Pel\u00e9 and a Brazilian centre forward. Pel\u00e9\u2019s father, who served as both a mentor and a trainer, encouraged him. Dondinho played for various clubs, including Fluminense FC and Atletico Mineiro. Due to his father joining a new team, Pel\u00e9 had to move to a different city, where he got his well-known moniker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone kicks the ball with their foot in Portuguese, they say \u201cPe.\u201d Young Edson\u2019s teammates began calling him \u201cPe-L\u00e9\u201d when he misfired when kicking the ball, even though he didn\u2019t enjoy the name at first. Pel\u00e9 acknowledged in his memoirs that neither he nor his companions knew what the name \u201cPel\u00e9\u201d meant. Although the word \u201cpel\u00e9\u201d has no meaning in his language, it has the meaning of \u201cmiracle\u201d <\/strong>in Hebrew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Edison, an American inventor, served as the model for the name \u201cEdson.\u201d Pel\u00e9 claimed in interviews that his parents took inspiration from the fact that he was born early in the day, when the light was first visible. His parents chose the name Edson since Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Pel\u00e9, the world\u2019s most expensive football player at Schiphol. Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Why was he called \u201cBile\u201d before his nickname \u201cPel\u00e9\u201d got famous?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When Edson Arantes was a young boy, his teammates kept him in goal to give the opposition an advantage, according to Pel\u00e9\u2019s uncle Jorge. Pel\u00e9 was such a skilled striker that his opponents had no chance against him. Some compared his saves to those of Bile, his father\u2019s teammate in goal. They started referring to him as \u201cBile\u201d before changing it to \u201cPel\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early Days<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pel\u00e9 was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940,<\/strong> in the town of Tres Coracoes<\/strong> in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In Sao Paulo\u2019s Bauru neighbourhood, Pel\u00e9 was raised in abject poverty. He worked as a servant in tea houses to make additional cash. His father, Dondinho, a Brazilian footballer himself, taught him how to play. In his early years, Pel\u00e9 participated in futsal, an indoor version of football, which he described as a unique challenge. Because everyone is so near one another on the field and futsal is played faster than football on grass, he claimed, players must think faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Brazil faced Uruguay in the World Cup finals on July 16, 1950, many people expected the hosts to win their first World Cup. The biggest surprise for Brazilian supporters was the final score, which read 2-1 in favour of Uruguay. When 9-year-old Edson overheard his father sobbing as Brazilian hopes were dashed, he vowed to win the World Cup for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pel\u00e9 looked up to Dondinho and had every intention of following in his father\u2019s footsteps, but after seeing her husband\u2019s professional career come to an end due to a knee injury just before getting his big shot at a top-tier Brazilian club, his mother was not supportive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professional Career<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

With Santos<\/strong>, Pel\u00e9 debuted at the age of 15. He scored 618 goals in 636 games<\/strong> while spending the majority of his career with this Brazilian team. He also contributed to Brazil\u2019s victories in the 1958, 1962, and 1970 World Cups. Out of the four World Cups he participated in, he is the only player to have won it three times. Pel\u00e9 was instrumental in raising the game\u2019s popularity in the US both before and after his retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the age of 16, Pel\u00e9 made his first appearance for the Brazil national team. With 77 goals in 92 games, Pel\u00e9 is tied for the most goals scored by a Brazilian. At the most recent World Cup in Qatar, Neymar<\/strong>, a prominent Brazilian football player, tied his record for most goals scored for the national team. With 643 goals in 659 games, Pel\u00e9 was Santos\u2019 all-time leading scorer <\/strong>at the club level. He guided his team to the 1962 and 1963 Intercontinental Cups as well as the Copa Libertadores titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On July 7, 1957, at the Maracana, Pel\u00e9 played in his first international game, which Brazil lost 2-1 to Argentina. At 16 years and 9 months<\/strong>, he scored his first goal<\/strong> for Brazil in the game, making him the nation\u2019s youngest goal scorer. The record has never been broken. Pel\u00e9, who was 17 years and 8 months old, made history on June 29, 1958,<\/strong> when he played in the first World Cup final. He contributed two goals to Brazil\u2019s 5-2 victory over Sweden in Stockholm, which gave them their first World Cup victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On July 18, 1971, Pel\u00e9 played in his final international game in Rio de Janeiro against Yugoslavia. Brazil won 62 games, lost 11, and had 14 games finish in draws when Pel\u00e9 was on the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pel\u00e9 played for the NASL\u2019s New York Cosmos from 1975 until 1977. In 700 appearances with the official club, he scored 655 goals. He shared the FIFA Player of the Century<\/strong> award with Diego Maradona<\/em> of Argentina and was the first Brazilian minister of sports<\/strong> in history. He has numerous records. The International Olympic Committee also named Pel\u00e9 the Athlete of the Century in 1999<\/strong>. In 1363 appearances, including unofficial games, Pele has scored 1281 goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Style of Play<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pel\u00e9 was a prolific goal scorer who frequently finished off opportunities with precise, potent shots. He could use both of his feet for that. He was praised for his accurate passing and capacity to make connections with teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of his diverse set of skills, he used to play in a variety of attacking positions. Later in his career, he developed a deeper role as a playmaker and played as an attacking midfielder. He displayed superb technique, equilibrium, flair, agility, and dribbling abilities. Despite being diminutive in stature, he excelled in the air thanks to his precise heading, elevation, and timing. He was a proficient penalty and free-kick shooter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pel\u00e9 was a very significant athlete who earned the moniker \u201cO Rei,\u201d<\/strong> which translates to \u201cThe King,\u201d<\/strong> after making his debut at the 1958 World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personal Life<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pel\u00e9 had multiple affairs in addition to his three marriages. He married Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi<\/strong> in 1966. They have one son and two daughters. In 1982, the couple got a divorce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pel\u00e9 wed gospel singer and psychotherapist Assiria Lemos Seixas<\/strong> in April 1994. In the following year, Joshua and Celeste were born. They separated in 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pel\u00e9 married Marcia Aoki<\/strong>, 41, whom he had been seeing since 2010, when he was 73.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n