Club level
1956-1974 Santos FC - 605 appearances, 589 goals
1975-1977 New York Cosmos - 64 appearances, 37 goals
International level
1956-1971 Brazil - 92 appearances, 77 goals
Campeonato Paulista champion
Torneio Rio-São Paulo champion
Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa (Taça de Prata) champion
Taça Brasil champion
Copa Libertadores champion
Intercontinental Cup
South-American Recopa
NASL champion
World Cup champion
Roca Cup
Copa O'Higgins
Copa Atlântica
Edson Arantes do Nascimento better known as Pelé is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time.
Pelé is renowned for his dribbling and passing technique as well as his exceptional ability to head the ball for a man of average height. He was a prolific goalscorer and liked to attempt the spectacular such as the “bicycle kick”.
Pele is the only football player in the history of the game to win three World Cup trophies and his number 10 shirt has become famous in itself.
Pele grew up in Sao Paulo in Brazil surrounded by abject poverty earning extra money by shining shoes. He began learning the techniques of the game practising with a sock stuffed with newspaper or a grapefruit as he could not afford a proper football.
Pele made his professional debut for Santos in 1956 and had earned a starting place in the 1st team by the start of the 1957 season. At the age of 16 he became the top scorer in the league and was called up to the Brazilian national squad.
In 1962 the government of Brazil prevented Pele from moving to Europe by declaring him a national treasure. He scored his 1000th goal on 19th November 1969 in a match against Vasco de Gama when he netted a penalty.
On his retirement from club football Pele signed for New York Cosmos and became the highest paid player in the NASL. His last professional game was on 1st October 1977 against his former club Santos when he played the 1st half for the Cosmos and the 2nd half for Santos.
Pele is widely appraised for his international career which began against Argentina on 7th July 1957 when he scored his first goal for Brazil. It was three months before his seventeenth birthday.
In the 1958 World Cup he was the youngest player in the tournament and at that time the youngest player ever to take part in a World Cup. In the semi final against France Pele scored a hat trick becoming the youngest player ever in World Cup history to do so. On 19th June 1958 Pele played in the World Cup final becoming the youngest player ever to play in a World Cup final at 17 years and 248 days. He scored two goals as his beloved Brazil demolished Sweden 5-2. He had won a World Cup at just age seventeen.
In the 1962 World Cup Pele started the tournament well scoring a goal in the opening game against Mexico. However while attempting a long range shot against Czechoslovakia he injured himself and was out for the remainder of the World Cup. Despite the absence of Pele Brazil lifted their second World Cup trophy beating Czechoslovakia in the final.
The 1970 Brazilian World Cup squad is widely regarded as one of the greatest football teams ever. Brazil faced Italy in the final and Pele scored the opening goal and made assists for the others. Brazil won the match 4-1 and were awarded the Jules Rimet Trophy forever.
Pele played his last international match for Brazil on 18th July 1971 against Yugoslavia.
Brazil never lost a match with both Pele and Garrincha on the field.
