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| Pelé KEYSTONE/GETTY IMAGES |
The loss of "O Rei" is mourned by everyone. On December 29, at the age of 82, Pelé, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers ever and the greatest striker in the history of the game, passed away.
Millions of people from all over the world and from various generations have come to admire him as a result of the legend he leaves behind. His record will always reflect a successful career with Santos, his team of his soul, and the Brazilian team.
On October 23, 1940, Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born in the state of Minas Gerais into a family with ties to the ball. Joo Ramos do Nascimento Dondinho, Pelé's father, played football for Atlético Mineiro until an injury ended his playing days. Pelé developed a passion for the game of football at a young age. He started out as a young player for several teams in the lower levels until being signed by Santos in 1956 at the age of just 16 years old.
Given the poor experience Pelé's father had with injuries, his mother resisted moving the family to Sao Paulo. However, reality soon proved her wrong. The young Pelé showed off from his first games his goal-scoring prowess and a remarkable physique that made him superior to most of his competitors.
During his debut in 1958 in Sweden, young footballer Pelé amazed the crowd right away and won their hearts.
He was able to establish himself in the Santista team during his early years as a professional, and he played a crucial role in the team's victory in the 1958 Paulista Tournament. Vicente Feola, the then-coach of Brazil, decided to wager on him for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden ahead of other figures of the era like Luizinho, the great star of Corinthians, despite the fact that his name began to resound with increasing force in the metropolitan area of So Paulo and in the rest of the country.
The Brazilian legend, who is regarded as one of the greatest soccer players in history, wowed the world throughout the 1950s and 1970s. His incredible eye for goal, his physical and technical prowess on the field of play, and his historic achievement will go down in history. having three world championships with his team, in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
The majority of Brazilian soccer supporters found the "Canarinha's" defeat to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final to be devastating. Brazil lost the game 1-2 after a stunning comeback by Uruguay in front of a packed Maracana stadium and more than 170,000 fans who were cheering for Brazil. This match is known internationally as El Maracanazo.
The Brazilian star, though, showed up to challenge this notion. Despite having misgivings and physical difficulty at the start of the 1958 tournament, he scored a goal against Wales in the quarterfinals to advance his side to the semifinals, where they would face a strong France squad that was one of the favourites to win the World Cup. In that game, Pelé scored a hat-trick as the "Canarihna" easily defeated the French squad 5-2.
The final was played against the hosts, Sweden, a side noted for its defensive sturdiness in recent years, but they were unable to stop Brazil's attacking whirlwind, which started to develop what would eventually be known as "jogo bonito." In this game, the Brazilians were able to triumph over the hosts with yet another commanding 5-2 score, and Pelé once again scored a brace.
Thus, at the age of just 17, "O Rei" and his squad won the global championship for the first time. the beginning of a career that would propel him to the height of international fame. A young Pelé sobbing with happiness on Brazilian goalie Gilmar's shoulder will go down in history.
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| Pelé cries on the shoulder of Brazilian goalkeeper Gilmar after winning the first World Cup for his team in 1958. Photo: AP. |
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