Pelé, one of the greatest football players ever born, was born on 23rd October 1940 in Brazil. His full name is Edison Arantes do Nascimento but he is best known by his nickname which sent shivers down the spines of much football opposition during his international career which spanned from 1957 to 1971.
During this time He made 92 appearances and scored a phenomenal 77 goals. During this time he also played for Santos Football Club in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil. Pelé played 438 league appearances for Santos and scored a staggering 474 goals. This means that Pelé scored more than a goal per game, an incredible feat. It is no wonder that Pelé was named “The Athlete of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee.
He has earned 31 team trophies, this makes him the player with the most career titles (an honor shared with Portuguese goalkeeper Vitor Baia). Amongst these are three world cup winner medals which he won in 1958, 1962, and 1970. The 1970 Brazilian team is arguable the best international football team to ever have played in the World Cup finals and Pelé earned the Golden Ball award (for the best player) in that team.
He is still a great influence in modern football and many younger players start in the game of football trying to be just like Pelé – a true football legend.
