On October 23, 1940, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known to the world as Pelé, was born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Pelé, the son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho and Celeste Arantes, grew up in a working-class family and learned to play football in the streets using balls made of socks or grapefruits. At the age of 15, he joined Santos Football Club and made his professional debut in 1956, scoring in his first match. By 16, he was Brazil’s top league scorer and had earned a call-up to the national team.
Pelé played in four FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970, winning three of them. In 1958 in Sweden, at just 17 years old, he became the youngest player to play and score in a World Cup final, helping Brazil defeat Sweden 5 to 2. In 1962 in Chile, he scored in Brazil’s opening match but suffered an injury in the second game. Brazil went on to win the tournament without him. The 1966 World Cup in England was difficult for Pelé. Repeated fouls and injuries limited his play, and Brazil was eliminated in the group stage.
His final World Cup in 1970 in Mexico became his most famous. Pelé led Brazil to victory in one of the most celebrated teams in football history, scoring the first goal in the final against Italy and assisting two others.
To this day, he remains the only player to win three World Cups.
“I always had a philosophy which I got from my father. He used to say, ‘Listen. God gave to you the gift to play football. This is your gift from God. If you take care of your health, if you are in good shape all the time, with your gift from God no one will stop you, but you must be prepared,” Pelé said in a 2022 interview with FourFourTwo magazine.
Pelé spent nearly 20 years with Santos FC and scored 643 goals in 659 official matches. He helped the club win six Brazilian league titles, two Copa Libertadores championships in 1962 and 1963, and two Intercontinental Cups in the same years.
In 1961, the Brazilian government declared Pelé a national treasure, preventing his transfer to foreign clubs despite heavy interest from Europe. Santos and Pelé toured extensively, playing exhibition matches around the world and drawing massive crowds everywhere they went.
In 1975, Pelé signed with the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League. His arrival significantly boosted the sport’s popularity in the United States. Over three seasons, he helped the Cosmos win the 1977 Soccer Bowl. He retired later that year after a farewell match between the Cosmos and Santos.
Pelé’s achievements were recognized throughout his life. He was named Athlete of the Century in 1999 by the International Olympic Committee and included in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
In 2000, FIFA named him Co–Player of the Century alongside Diego Maradona. He received hundreds of individual honors, including the first FIFA Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur in 2014.
After retiring, Pelé served as Brazil’s Minister of Sports from 1995 to 1998in a mission to eliminate corruption in football administration. He continued to act as a global ambassador for the game and supported countless humanitarian efforts.
After a lengthy battle with colon cancer, Pelé passed away on December 29, 2022, at the age of 82. Married three times, Pelé was survived by his wife, Marcia Aoki, and the seven children he shared with his previous wives.
“All that we are is thanks to you,” his daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram at the time. “We love you endlessly. Rest in peace.”
