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Lucaci Paula-Roberta
Edson Arantes do Nascimento

A member of three Brazilian World Cup-champion teams,
Pel is considered by many to be the greatest soccer
player of all time.
QUOTES
I was born to play football, just like Beethoven was born to
write music and Michelangelo was born to paint.
Pel


Synopsis
Born on October 23, 1940, in Trs Coraes, Brazil, soccer legend Pel became a superstar with his
performance in the 1958 World Cup. Pel 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
Pel was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940 in Trs Coraes, Brazil, the first
child of Joo Ramos and Dona Celeste. Named after Thomas Edison and nicknamed "Dico," Pel
moved with his family to the city of Bauru as a young boy.
Joo Ramos, better known as "Dondinho," struggled to earn a living as a soccer player, and Pel
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 "Pel" nickname is unclear, though
he recalled despising it when his friends first referred to him that way.
As an adolescent, Pel joined a youth squad coached by Waldemar de Brito, a former member of
the Brazilian national soccer team. De Brito eventually convinced Pel'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
Pel 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.

[Tastai aici]
Lucaci Paula-Roberta
The world was officially introduced to Pel 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 Jnio
Quadros eventually had Pel 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
Pel 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 Pel 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 Pel play in an exhibition game in Lagos.
The 1970 World Cup in Mexico marked a triumphant return to glory for Pel and Brazil.
Headlining a formidable squad, Pel scored four goals in the tournament, including one in the final
to give Brazil a 4-1 victory over Italy.
Pel 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.