Who Is Pelé?

Pelé is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time. Soccer legend Pelé became a superstar with his performance in the 1958 World Cup. Pelé played professionally in Brazil for two decades, winning three World Cups along the way, before joining the New York Cosmos late in his career. Named FIFA co-Player of the Century in 1999, he is a global ambassador for soccer and other humanitarian causes. 

Childhood

Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil, the first child of João Ramos and Dona Celeste. Named after Thomas Edison and nicknamed "Dico," Pelé moved with his family to the city of Bauru as a young boy. João Ramos, better known as "Dondinho," struggled to earn a living as a soccer player, and Pelé grew up in poverty. Still, he developed a rudimentary talent for soccer by kicking a rolled-up sock stuffed with rags around the streets of Bauru. The origin of the "Pelé" nickname is unclear, though he recalled despising it when his friends first referred to him that way. As an adolescent, Pelé joined a youth squad coached by Waldemar de Brito, a former member of the Brazilian national soccer team. De Brito eventually convinced Pelé's family to let the budding phenom leave home and try out for the Santos professional soccer club when he was 15. 

Soccer's National Treasure

Pelé signed with Santos and immediately started practicing with the team's regulars. He scored the first professional goal of his career before he turned 16, led the league in goals in his first full season and was recruited to play for the Brazilian national team. The world was officially introduced to Pelé in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. Displaying remarkable speed, athleticism and field vision, the 17-year-old erupted to score three goals in a 5-2 semifinal win over France, then netted two more in the finals, a 5-2 win over the host country. The young superstar received hefty offers to play for European clubs, and Brazilian President Jânio Quadros eventually had Pelé declared a national treasure, making it legally difficult for him to play in another country. Regardless, Santos club ownership ensured its star attraction was well paid by scheduling lucrative exhibition matches with teams around the world. 

More World Cup Titles

Pelé aggravated a groin injury two games into the 1962 World Cup in Chile, sitting out the final rounds while Brazil went on to claim its second straight title. Four years later, in England, a series of brutal attacks by opposing defenders again forced him to the sidelines with leg injuries, and Brazil was bounced from the World Cup after one round. Despite the disappointment on the world stage, the legend of Pelé continued to grow. In the late 1960s, the two factions in the Nigerian Civil War reportedly agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play in an exhibition game in Lagos. The 1970 World Cup in Mexico marked a triumphant return to glory for Pelé and Brazil. Headlining a formidable squad, Pelé scored four goals in the tournament, including one in the final to give Brazil a 4-1 victory over Italy. Pelé announced his retirement from soccer in 1974, but he was lured back to the field the following year to play for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League, and temporarily helped make the NASL a big attraction. He played his final game in an exhibition between New York and Santos in October 1977, competing for both sides, and retired with a total of 1,281 goals in 1,363 games. 

The Legend Lives On

Retirement did little to diminish the public profile of Pelé, who remained a popular pitchman and active in many professional arenas. In 1978, Pelé was awarded the International Peace Award for his work with UNICEF. He has also served as Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport and a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment. Pelé was named FIFA's "Co-Player of the Century" in 1999, along with Argentine Diego Maradona. To many, his accomplishments on the soccer field will never be equaled, and virtually all great athletes in the sport are measured against the Brazilian who once made the world stop to watch his transcendent play. 

3 Life Lesson from Pelé

1. ENTHUSIASTICALLY BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS 

Like so many of his countrymen, Pelé grew up in the society that was filled with poverty. His parents couldn’t afford to buy young Pelé a soccer ball so he would run shoeless through the streets and kick cans, grapefruits, coconuts, rolled up socks or whatever he could find. To make money for a soccer ball, Pelé helped his uncle sell wood and also sold peanuts and shined shoes outside movie theaters. 

TURN YOUR MISFORTUNE INTO GAIN 

But disadvantages didn’t stop Pelé from making his dream come true. More than anything, he wanted to be a top soccer player. He skipped school to practice soccer in the fields, he played the game with his neighbors on the streets and in this rough soccer environment developed many of his feints and unconventional dribbling maneuvers. And he never lost sight of his dream. As a true daydreamer, he was determined to turn his daydreams into reality. 

2. WORK HARD TO GET WHAT YOU WANT 

Pelé once said, “I don’t believe there is such a thing as a ‘born’ soccer player. Perhaps you are born with certain skills and talents, but quite frankly it seems impossible to me that one is actually born to be an ace soccer player”. 

TALENT ISN’T EVERYTHING 

When Pelé was 15, his dream of being a soccer star started to come true – he joined a top soccer team in Santos, Brazil. The rest is history – he is the only person who has played on three World Cup winning teams, he struck 1,281 goals in 1,363 games and is best known for his incredible shots, dribbling skills and bicycle kick that later became his signature move. He worked hard, and that made him one of the world’s greatest soccer players. 

3. NEVER FORGET TRUE VALUES IN LIFE 

From his humble beginnings to his remarkable soccer feats he never lost sight of what’s important. “Be a man, in failure and success. Only this way can you achieve personal dignity and earn the respect of your fellow men”, that is what Pelé believed in. After 20 years of remarkable career, he hung up his boots and became an active philanthropist and a humanitarian. He used his success to help raise money for humanitarian causes. In his playing days, a cease-fire was even declared in warring Nigeria when Pele went to play in Lagos. That says it all. 

Pelé Inspiring Quotes

1. “The World Cup is a very important way to measure the good players and the great ones. It is a test of a great player.” 

2. “To be a striker you need to be in good shape.” 

3. “Great teams are not made up of many well-rounded players. Great teams are made up of a variety of players, each having their own strengths.” 

4. “Success isn’t determined by how many times you win, but by how you play the week after you lose.” 

5. “There is always someone out there getting better than you by training harder than you.” 

6. “No individual can win a game by himself.” 

7. “The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.” 

8. “If I pass away one day, I am happy because I tried to do my best. My sport allowed me to do so much because it’s the biggest sport in the world.” 

9. “In the last decade, the most complete, it is for me Zidane. Today we have Messi and Ronaldo but Zidane for me the most comprehensive.” 

10. “Courage can bring huge benefits to those who are prepared.” 

📜Conclusion:-

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do