Pelé's Beautiful Game

Brazil is “o País do Futebol” — “the Country of Soccer.” It has one of the world’s best teams, holds an unprecedented five World Cup titles, and is the only country to have played in every World Cup tournament.

The game was introduced in 1894, when Thomas Donohue, a Scottish expatriate, organized the first official match. However, it was Charles Miller who sparked the country’s interest in the game when he brought the first equipment home after learning to play while he was studying in England. Known as the “Father of Soccer,” Miller helped set up the first league in Brazil. Excitement for the game spread like wildfire, and soccer was soon the most popular sport in the country.

Brazil takes great pride in its soccer culture, as the enthusiasm of the fans and the passion of the players shows. It has produced some of the world’s most famous players, such as Garrincha, Ronaldinho, and Neymar. But any discussion of Brazil’s soccer stars must begin with Pelé, a symbol for the sport itself.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (nicknamed Pelé) was born on October 23, 1940. He grew up poor and worked as a shoeshine boy at the railroad station to help feed his family. However, as a young boy, Pelé showed amazing talent in soccer. Although small for his age, he was fast and had an extraordinary command of the ball. Pelé was playing for a local club when he got his first break. Santos FC, a professional club in the city of Sao Paulo, invited him to join the team. At only 17, he was the youngest player in the league and one of the top scorers. Throughout the country, newspapers and radio stations announced his victories. Pelé had become a national superstar.

By 1958, Brazilians eagerly waited for the World Cup, the international championship of soccer that is played every four years. Pelé was selected to play on the national team, and the question on everyone’s mind was: would this be the year of Brazil’s first World Cup victory?

The 1958 World Cup was held in Sweden. Pelé’s first game was against the Soviet Union. He felt a swell of pride standing in his bright yellow jersey, listening to Brazil’s national anthem. “When the band plays that song, all of us Brazilians feel a strange force within us.... All of us were living in a dream, but none more so than me,” he said. During the game, Pelé made several vital plays that helped put Brazil into the quarter-finals.

Against Wales, Pelé scored the game’s only goal, making Brazil one of four teams left in the tournament. They met France in the semi-finals, where Pelé scored a spectacular hat trick, a term used when one person scores three goals in a game. Brazil’s victory launched them into the World Cup final. They would play against the host nation, Sweden.

Sweden celebrated after scoring in the first four minutes of the championship game. Brazil quickly gained back control with two goals. In the second half, Pelé made one of the most extraordinary goals ever seen in World Cup history. After stopping a long pass with his chest, Pelé flicked the ball over the head of the Swedish defender and fired it past the goalkeeper before it hit the ground. Brazil had won the world championship. Pelé teammates lifted him onto their shoulders. They carried him around the field to the cheers of the crowd.

During his legendary career, Pelé accomplished everything a soccer player could imagine. In 1962, the Brazilian government declared him a national treasure. No other player has ever received such an honor. Pelé ended his career having scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games, making him the most successful league goal-scorer of all time. He is the only three-time World Cup champion and has scored more goals for Brazil — 77 in 92 games — than any other player. In 1999, several organizations, including the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), named Pelé the best soccer player of the century.

In 1974, Pelé signed a two-year contract with the New York Cosmos to promote soccer in North America. He won over the crowds and attracted millions of Americans to the “beautiful game” of soccer.

After retirement, Pelé used his fame to help others. He raised money for UNICEF and created a worldwide series of workshops to help young soccer players. In 1995, he was named Minister of Sport for the government of Brazil. He used his position to create the “Pelé Law,” which guaranteed soccer players a fair wage and compensation if they got injured.

Pelé is hailed as a national hero for his achievements in soccer and for the positive difference he made in Brazil. He remains the greatest soccer star of all time and an inspiration to players everywhere.