Edson Arantes do Nascimento
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2,243
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75
Film credits
3
Books
20
Awards
Pelé is the only player in history to win three FIFA World Cup titles 1958, 1962, 1970, scoring 77 goals in 92 appearances for Brazil. He netted 1,283 goals in 1,363 matches over his career, though FIFA officially recognizes 757 in 831 games. He began at Santos FC at age 15 and later played for the New York Cosmos, becoming a global ambassador for football.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Pelé — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Pelé by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Pelé — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
At 15, Pelé joined Santos FC after coach Waldemar de Brito discovered him. He was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, to Dondinho, a footballer who taught him the game. Raised in poverty, he shined shoes to help his family.
At 17, Pelé scored a hat-trick in the 1958 World Cup semifinal against France and two goals in the final to win Brazil’s first title. He won the World Cup again in 1962, though injured, and led Brazil to a third victory in 1970, scoring four goals including one in the final. With Santos, he won two Copa Libertadores 1962, 1963 and two Intercontinental Cups. He finished his career with the New York Cosmos from 1975 to 1977.
From his 1966 marriage to Rosemary Cholbi came three children: Edson, Kelly Cristina, and Jennifer. Subsequent marriages to Assiria 1994–2008 and Marcia Aoki 2016 until his death followed. Flavia Christina, from an affair with journalist Lenita Kurtz, and Sandra Regina, whom a 1993 DNA test confirmed after initial denial, are his other daughters.
Pelé inspired generations of footballers including Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho. In 2000, FIFA named him Player of the Century; in 1997, he received an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He served as Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport from 1995 to 1998 and proposed the Pelé law to reduce corruption. He remains the only player to win three World Cups and is remembered as the King of Football.
The complete filmography of Pelé — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Pelé — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
Pelé's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
A wall of memorable lines from Pelé — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Am Constantly Being Asked About Individuals. the Only Way to Win Is as a Team. Football Is Not About One or Two or Three Star Players.
For Many People, Their Memory of Gordon Banks Is Defined by the Save He Made Against Me in 1970. I Understand Why. the Save Was One of the Best I Have Ever Seen in Real Life and in All the Thousands of Games I Have Watched Since. When You Are a Footballer, You Know Straight Away How Well You Have Hit the Ball. I Hit That Header Exactly as I Had Hoped. Exactly Where I Wanted It to Go. and I Was Ready to Celebrate. but Then This Man, Banks, Appeared in My Sight, Like a Kind of Blue Phantom, Is How I Described Him. He Came from Nowhere and He Did Something I Didn’t Feel Was Possible. He Pushed My Header, Somehow, up and Over. and I Couldn’t Believe What I Saw. Even Now When I Watch It, I Can’t Believe It. I Can’t Believe How He Moved so Far, so Fast. I Scored so Many Goals in My Life, but Many People, When They Meet Me, Always Ask Me About That Save. While It Was Indeed Phenomenal, My Memory of Gordon Is Not Defined by That It Is Defined by His Friendship. He Was a Kind and Warm Man Who Gave so Much to People. so I Am Glad He Saved My Header Because That Act Was the Start of a Friendship Between Us That I Will Always Treasure.
Little-known facts about Pelé — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Over his entire career, Pelé scored 1,283 goals in 1,363 matches, though FIFA officially recognizes 757 goals in 831 games because the larger count includes unofficial matches.
His last professional appearance on October 1, 1977, at Giants Stadium saw him play for both the New York Cosmos and Santos, wearing each team’s jersey for a half.
Pelé is the only player to win three FIFA World Cup titles 1958, 1962, 1970.
He played 92 matches for Brazil and scored 77 goals.
In 1995, Brazil awarded Pelé its Gold Medal for services to sport; he later served as Extraordinary Minister for Sport, proposing the Pelé law to reduce corruption.
His birth certificate lists his first name as Edison after Thomas Edison with a birth date of October 21, 1940, but he publicly states October 23, 1940.
Pelé once predicted an African team would win the World Cup before 2000, which did not happen.
He shares with Uwe Seeler and Cristiano Ronaldo the achievement of scoring in four separate World Cup tournaments.
Pelé earned the nickname Pérola Negra The Black Pearl.
His parents named him after Thomas Edison, and his family originally called him Dico.
His nicknames include The Black Pearl, The King of Football O Rei do Futebol, and O Rei.
In June 2006, Pelé appeared at the opening of the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals alongside Claudia Schiffer.
He holds the world record for most hat-tricks with 92.
He is the youngest player to play in a World Cup final at 17 years and 249 days 1958.
Pelé played for the New York Cosmos from 1975 to 1977.
A video game named ‘Pelé’s Soccer’ was released in the 1980s.
MMA legend Jose Landi-Jons took the nickname Pelé from him.
With Santos FC, Pelé won two Intercontinental Cups and two Libertadores Cups both 1962, 1963.
He fathered Edson Cholbi Nascimento with Rosemary Cholbi, and also has daughters Kelly Cristina and Jennifer.
Pelé had a daughter Sandra Regina Machado with Anisia Machado in 1963, whom he initially denied paternity until a DNA test in 1993.
An affair in 1968 with journalist Lenita Kurtz produced daughter Flavia Christina, recognized in 1990.
His father Dondinho died in 1996; his mother Celeste Arantes survived him.
His siblings are Maria Lúcia and Jair Zoca.
Dutch artist Dick Bruynesteyn made a drawing of him and called him Pietje Pele.
Since retirement, Pelé served as a UN ambassador for ecology and environment 1992 and later a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
He produced an international advertising campaign for Viagra for Pfizer.
On August 1, 2010, the reincarnated New York Cosmos appointed Pelé as Honorary President.
He served as Brazilian Minister of Sport from 1995 to 1998.
In 1992, the American National Soccer Hall of Fame inducted him.
Pelé scored 12 goals and had 10 assists in 14 World Cup appearances.
He holds the record for most goals in a calendar year: 127 in 1959.
He is the youngest goalscorer in a World Cup at 17 years 239 days 1958 against Wales.
With 7 goals, he is the Intercontinental Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer.
He shares the record for most goals in a World Cup final with 3 with Vavá, Geoff Hurst, and Zinédine Zidane.
Guinness World Records: youngest World Cup winner at 17 years 249 days in 1958.
Youngest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup at 17 years 244 days 1958 against France.
Youngest two-time World Cup winner in 1962 at age 21.
He had twins Joshua and Celeste with Assíria.
He is the nephew of Jorge Arantes.
Grandfather of Malcolm, Ruby, Enzo, Ella, Otavio, and Gabriel.
His daughter Sandra Regina died from breast cancer in October 2006; she was a city councilor in Santos and wrote a book A Filha Que o Rei Não Quis.
In 2001, Sandra Regina filed a suit for increased financial compensation, and a court rejected it.
Pelé played as a goalkeeper in four matches and did not concede a goal: three friendlies and one Campeonato Paulista match.
He is mentioned in Luís Carlos Miele’s rap song Melô do Tagarela.
Later stars like Ronaldinho, Zinédine Zidane, and Diego Maradona wore his jersey number 10.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Pelé.
Celebrities similar to Pelé — same craft, ranked by reach.
🇦🇹 Austria
🇺🇸 United States
🇮🇹 Italy
🇺🇸 United States
🇲🇨 Monaco
🌍 Hong Kong
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇺🇸 United States
🇨🇳 China
🇺🇸 United States
🇺🇸 United States
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
