Pelé (redirected from Pelè)

Pelé, Brazilian soccer player

Pelé (pālā`), 1940–, Brazilian soccer (football) player. His real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Perhaps the greatest player in the history of soccer, Pelé began playing at the age of 5 and joined the Santos team at 16. Playing inside left forward, he led his team to numerous championships and the Brazilian national team to world championships in 1958, 1962, and 1970. He held every scoring record in Brazil, and in international matches he scored an average of one goal per game. His playing style was marked by superb ball control and great tactical ability. In 1971 he retired from the Brazilian national team but continued to play with Santos. He retired (1974) from the Santos team and played in the United States with the New York Cosmos (1975–77). He scored 1,281 goals during his career. Pelé became Brazil's minister of sports in 1995, serving until 1998.

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Pelé

 orig. Edson Arantes do Nascimento

Pelé.

(credit: AFP/Pictorial Parade)

(born Oct. 23, 1940, Três Corações, Braz.) Brazilian football (soccer) player, in his time perhaps the most celebrated athlete in the world. He joined the Santos Football Club in 1956 and helped lead that team to a world club championship in 1962. He was part of three Brazilian national teams that won World Cup championships (1958, 1962, 1970). In 1969, during his 909th match, he scored his 1,000th goal. He combined kicking power and accuracy with a remarkable ability to anticipate other players' moves. In 1975 he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL); he retired after leading the team to the league championship in 1977. He was the 1978 recipient of the International Peace Award, and in 1980 he was named Athlete of the Century.