Pele, a former Brazilian footballer, is thought by many to be the greatest footballer in history. Pele is his nickname; he was born in Brazil with the given name of Edison (Edson) Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940. While his birth certificate reads that his first name is Edison, his preference is Edson, but Pele is the name that this sports legend is known by.

It’s hard to even imagine football without Pele; he seems as if he was born with the sole purpose of playing football. Pele’s ball control and speed are the stuff of legend and his passing skills are second to none and all his own, though often imitated. Nearly any time that Pele had the ball, amazing things would happen, thrilling fans worldwide. Pele scored an amazing career total of 1,283 goals, twelve of which were in the course of World Cup matches (in 1958, 1968 and 1970). Pele was the first player to win three World Cups.

Pele was discovered and nurtured by Waldemar de Brito, who began coaching him in 1954. In a mere two years, he began playing professionally and by 1957, Pele was in a starting position on Santos. The same year, Pele won a World Cup – by 1962, he was fielding (and considering) offers from European clubs. The Brazilian government, fearing that Pele would leave for greener pastures, declared him a national treasure, which effectively prevented him from going to a team outside of the country.

Pele played for the team until 1972, at which point he entered semi-retirement, playing only in especially tough games. In 1975, he came out of retirement to play for the New York Cosmos, a part of the North American League. Some said Pele was past his prime, but there is no doubt that he generated a lot of interest in the game amongst Americans and had the last laugh when he led the Cosmos to a NASL championship in 1977 during his last season.

In his homeland of Brazil, he is still regarded a national hero. He is well known for his contributions and accomplishments to football and was declared the football ambassador of the world by FIFA. He vocally supports policies that will improve the conditions of the less privileged. During his legendary career, he earned the title \”The King of Football\”. His is a member of the American National Soccer Hall of Fame.