When football legend and the only three-time FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962, and 1970) player, and winner, Pelé stated he is feeling ‘better,’ after a recent surgery for colon tumour, he lost no time to quip—thanks to his archetypal humour—that he can’t wait to get back to playing the beautiful game.
That Pelé burst onto the global stage at just age 17 with dazzling goals, including two in the final against hosts Sweden, as Brazil won the World Cup for the first time in 1958, is what dreams are made of, but seldom fulfilled. Yes, he’s known as just Pelé—the king of football in his own right. His real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. He is rated by most cognoscente, and also others, to be the greatest player of all time.
A supremely versatile footballer and an equally fabulous goal scorer, Pelé was amazingly skilled at dribbling and passing. He also possessed great defensive skills—for a striker. He started his football career in Santos, in 1956, aged 15. He played in his first international match within a year’s time. He stayed with Santos, the club that made him famous, for his entire career. That’s loyalty; a rarity, no less.
Pelé (born, October 23, 1940) showed a remarkably natural penchant for football. That he always remembered his humble beginnings, albeit success and riches followed him like a magnet wherever he went, speaks a language of its own. Humility personified. His love for the world’s greatest sport made him a colossus; yet, his profound interest and empathy for Brazil’s underprivileged children has always remained firm.
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