Addison Arantes do Nascimento, known as "Pele", was born in 1940 and died at the end of 2022 in Brazil. He was nicknamed "The King" and was one of the most goal-scoring players. He was able to win the World Cup in three copies, and for what he achieved during the 22 years of his career he won accolades. Many crowned his football history.

Pele was given many titles due to his many footballing achievements. They called him the "Black Jewel", "The King" and "The King of the Ball", and he was called "Deco", which means warrior, in his place of origin.

Pele loved playing football from a young age, and he had nothing but his innate talent, which made him the world's first black sports star.

Pele began his professional career at the age of 15, where he played between 1956 and 1977 for the Brazilian clubs Santos and the American Cosmos, and he also played for the Brazil national team at the age of 16.

At the age of 17 he was the world champion, and he had barely reached the age of 20 when the Brazilian government considered him a "national treasure".

The magician Pele is credited with naming football the “beautiful game” and the “beautiful team” for the Brazilian national team.

Since his retirement in 1977, he has become an ambassador for football, and November 19 is known as "Pele Day" to celebrate the anniversary of his thousandth goal in his club, Santos.

Birth and upbringing

Edison Arantes do Nascimento was born on October 23, 1940 in the state of Minas Gerais in the town of Tres Corasues, which means "three hearts", in Brazil, the first child of a Catholic Christian family.

His father named him Edison, after the inventor of electricity, Thomas Edison, because the neighborhood in which he lived knew lighting days before he was born.

Because he was mispronouncing the name of his favorite goalkeeper, "Pelly", his schoolmates called him "Pele".

The child "Pele" hated this nickname at first, and was expelled from school because he punched his classmate who called him, but he soon became famous for it in futsal and street matches, then it became the nickname by which he is known in world football stadiums.

Pele loved football, and wished he would change his name and make it "Adison Arantes Donasimunto Football".

He said about his upbringing, "I was born poor in a small house built of bricks. It was not a solid house, and it could collapse at any moment, and its miserable condition was clearly visible." Later, the street in which this house was located was called "Pele."

Apart from football, his hobbies were fishing, writing songs, and playing the guitar.

He also loved swimming, and he would run away from lessons in order to swim with his friends in the river adjacent to the train tracks, where they would swim in school clothes and then spread them on the branches of trees to dry.

From a previous visit of the late legend Pele to Kuwait (Al-Qabas newspaper)

working child

"Pele" moved in 1944 to the city of Bauru with his family, in which all of its members worked, where his grandfather and grandmother owned horse-drawn carts and used them to sell and deliver firewood, while his father, nicknamed "Dondino", was a soccer player in local clubs, but he did not get What fame is mentioned, and when he injured his knee, he retired from the ball, and his club refused to pay his wages.

Due to the severity of his family's poverty, Pele used to walk barefoot and wear used clothes, and their meal was sometimes a piece of bread with a few bananas, so he decided, as the eldest of his two brothers, to work as a shoe cleaner, in order to help his father with his family's expenses.

"Pele" said about that stage that he lived through, "I think I was 7 years old when I collected, with the help of my uncle George, enough money to buy the equipment required to wipe shoes. I did not get money at first, half of our street were barefoot, so I had one customer I did not know what The reward I should ask of him."

Pele's mother insisted that her son not work away, and reluctantly accepted that he accompany his father to the stadium of Euro Athletic on match days.

There he found enough fans' shoes to wipe them off, then moved to the train stations and made a decent income.

"Pele" was named by his father Edison, after the inventor of electricity, because the neighborhood in which he lived knew lighting days before his birth (Reuters)

Classroom clown

Pele's mother made sure that her son continued his studies regularly, and she sewed him torn shorts and shirts made of wheat sack fabrics for him to go to school.

Pele said that his family bought him a set of colored pencils, which he consumed in a short period of time, as he used to draw everything he saw in front of him.

Pele was disciplined in his studies at first, after he learned from his father that he would not become a pilot as he wanted unless he learned.

But he quickly became the "clown" of the class, he said, and his school often punished him by prostrating himself on dried beans that looked like pebbles.

He also received other punishments, including that he was standing for a long time in the corner of the classroom with his face against the wall and his hands outstretched.

He had described himself as not being an outstanding student, saying, "I wanted to learn and I was not stupid, but we and the school were worlds apart."

"Pele" and "Diego Maradona" at a football propaganda event on the eve of the opening of the European Football Championship in 2016 (Reuters)

From street football to professionalism

Pele was emaciated, and his body was a cause for ridicule by his colleagues. He did not like football at first, but he became influenced by his father because he taught him the principles of the game.

Pele was playing barefoot in the streets of the neighborhood, and he and his friends would make their ball out of socks and rags and sew them and play with them.

The ball grew bigger whenever a new sock or dress fell into their hands, which they often stole from the laundry ropes in the neighborhood.

Pele's dream, which he always repeated to his colleagues, was, "One day I will be strong like my father." And with the latter's leadership, he participated with his first team in many local tournaments, and Pele won the tournament's top scorer title with him.

He also led the youngsters of Bauru Club to two youth championships, then played with a team called "Raydom", and was part of the first indoor football competition in the region, and with his team he won this championship and many other championships.

It was the first amount of money he collected from the ball, when he scored the winning goal in a match between the neighborhood teams, where the fans threw some money and coins at him, and when he collected it, he put it in his mother’s hand to be satisfied with him and let him play football, as the mother did not want him to become a player like His father had even aspired to become a doctor.

Pele during the opening ceremony of his book "Pele Biography" in London in 2006 (Reuters)

Historic march with the Santos team

At the age of 11, Pele received his first pair of sneakers, after he was among those chosen by former player Valdemir de Brito, who was scouting talent for the youth club Atlético Bauru.

Until he was able to join in 1954.

Pele won the Junior Cup with the team and scored more than a hundred goals in 33 matches.

This success was his step towards the "Santos" club with the help of "De Brito", who said at the time, "You are in front of the best player in the world."

"A skinny boy arrived from Poirot in 1956," club historian Jeremy Guarachi said at the time. "I can't believe little Pele was able to train with the first team right away. Those players were champions in 1955, top of the state championship standings. Pele was dribbling around." Everyone, everyone is wondering who he is."

Vasconislos, in turn, said, "The number 10 in the team belonged to me without discussion, until the arrival of a young, skinny-footed boy like two matches who entered history under the name Pele."

The Brazilian football star played his first match in conjunction with the country's national holiday, and scored his first goal on the ground of a stadium that no longer exists.

Beginning in 1957, he became a regular in the team, playing with it from 1956 to 1974. He scored his first achievement in 1958, winning the Paulista championship and being the top scorer with 58 goals, a record that has not been surpassed until now.

Pele won 11 regional championships, the Brazilian League 5 times, and twice won the Copa Libertadores, twice the Intercontinental Cup, and twice the Club World Cup.

During the 18 years he played as a striker with the club, his total goals reached 643 goals in 656 games. He was also a substitute player for the position of goalkeeper, and he wore gloves 4 times during his career with the club, and did not receive any goal in his own net.

A postage stamp printed in Equatorial Guinea showing Pele during the 1978 FIFA World Cup (Shutterstock)

national treasure

In 1960, several international clubs expressed their desire to have Pele join their ranks.

At that time, the Italian team, Inter Milan, offered 40 million Brazilian Cruzeiro, in exchange for signing him.

However, Brazil considered him a "national treasure that cannot be exported," as announced by the country's president at the time, "Janio Cordas," and confirmed by Parliament in 1961, and a security decision was issued preventing him from leaving his team, "Santos."

With the Seleçao national team

"Pele" began his international journey with the Brazilian national team, known as "The Seleçao", at the age of only 16 years and 9 months.

On July 7, 1957, he participated in his first match against Argentina, during which he scored his first international goal.

In 1958, Pele won the World Cup in Sweden, and he fulfilled a promise he made to himself, after he saw his father's tears when Brazil lost the first World Cup organized on its soil in 1950, and he said to his father, "Do not cry, father, one day I will win the World Cup for you." ".

At that time, he achieved an unprecedented achievement by making 3 goals in the 1958 final, and the achievement was repeated in Chile in 1962, but he suffered an injury in the last tournament that prevented him from participating in the 1966 World Cup, and in that version his country lost the cup to return to the World Cup Mexico in 1970.

"Pele" was the second player to score the net in 4 versions of the World Cup, and he also signed 6 assists that ended with goals scored in the 1970 World Cup, which is a record, in addition to two goals against Italy.

He raised his tally to 12 goals in 14 matches during the World Cup.

Brazil was awarded the "Jules Rimet forever" trophy because of the triple victory, but it was stolen in 1983 and was not found after that.

At the Qatar World Cup 2022, Brazilian fans raised a banner with a message to Pele, "You will get better soon" (Reuters)

new king

In the year 1958, coach Vicente Viola at the time faced a strong objection from the psychiatrist of the Brazilian Sports Federation to the participation of the young star in the World Cup finals in Sweden, on the grounds that he had not yet matured, and the coach's response was, "You may be right, but you do not know anything about Football, I saw how Pele plays.

Pele said in a documentary, "When I went to the 1958 World Cup, people thought it would be a difficult experience for me to bear, and that it was too much responsibility, but it was not like this. I did not feel anxious, and the first goal I scored against Wales was the goal." who opened the door to my career."

"Pele" was the youngest player in the tournament at the time, at the age of 17 years and 249 days. He started his participation from the bench, then participated mainly against the Soviet Union, and scored his first goal in the quarter-final match against Wales, becoming the youngest player to score a goal in the World Cup. the scientist.

He led his country to the final match, by scoring 3 goals against France, then to winning the championship cup when he scored two goals out of 5 goals against Sweden, and from the intensity of his joy he fell unconscious after the match.

This championship was the starting point for Pele's rising career. In that year, his pictures appeared on the covers of magazines and the front pages of newspapers around the world, and the French magazine "Paris Match" announced the emergence of a "new king."

While that achievement was the moment of defining Brazil, which at that time became called the country of "Pele".

And Brazil had forgotten to send the numbers of its players to the International Federation (FIFA), so it was chosen randomly.

By chance, Pele had the eternal number 10 on the back of his shirt.

The participation of "Pele" in 1967, as part of his team's "Santos" tour to the countries of Africa, led to the suspension of the two sides of the Nigerian civil war at that time for a period of 48 hours, in order to watch "Pele" while he was playing in an exhibition match against the Nigerian Eagles Club in "Lagos".

Also, the decision to exclude the football legend from the Brazilian national team in a friendly match caused the coach to be dismissed at the time, and when former Colombian referee "Belasquez" expelled him in a friendly match with Santos in 1968, he made him vulnerable to insults from the Brazilian public, and he was attacked. About 25 people beat after the game.

Referee "Belasquez" said in a press interview in 2010 that he was then asked to leave the stadium and hand the whistle to one of the line officials, so that Pele would be returned to the stadium.

Pele scored his first goal in the quarter-final match against Wales, becoming the youngest player to score a goal in the World Cup (Reuters)

inspired in America

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger persuaded the Brazilian government to give up Pele to the Cosmos Club for $6 million, a figure that even US President Gerald Ford did not get, whose salary was then two hundred thousand dollars.

At that time, the United States had decided for the first time to establish a professional soccer league.

Pele was 35 years old when he arrived in New York on June 28, 1975. He said at the time: "The news can be broadcast to the whole world now ... that football has reached the United States."

Pele was for the soccer players, as Warner Roth, the club's former defender, said, "a legend and a person you could not imagine meeting, so let alone playing alongside him." He continued, "We felt that this man would advance the game of soccer in the United States."

Pele achieved 64 goals in 107 matches in 3 seasons with the "Cosmos" club, and in his last match at the end of his career, he lifted the championship cup in front of 37,000 spectators at Portland Stadium who came to see him off, and he was carried on the shoulders and became the "Uri" (king) in the United States.

By then, he had transformed from a footballer into a brand.

Brazilian player Neymar holds a sign for Pele after his country's victory over South Korea in the Qatar World Cup 2022 (Reuters)

retirement

Pele announced his retirement from international football upon his arrival at the age of 37 in 1977, in the presence of 150,000 spectators in a match against Yugoslavia at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

At the end of the match, the Brazilian football legend placed a crown of pure gold on his head, and he roamed the stadium with his No. 10 shirt in his hand, wiping tears from his eyes, after he became the historic scorer for Brazil with 77 goals in 92 games.

"Pele" became an ambassador for football in the world, and he was awarded the position of honorary president of the American club "Cosmos", and in 1995 he was appointed to the position of Minister of Sports in Brazil, and a goodwill ambassador by UNESCO.

He was also an advisor to the Brazilian Football Confederation, a collaborator with the United Nations, and an ambassador for the 2014 World Cup.

In his autobiography, the king of football said, "I am a man whose life knew the craziest dreams. It was punctuated by laughter and tears, victories and defeats. In sum, I knew more joy than I knew trouble."

During his career, he wore the Brazilian captain's armband only once.

Pele wore No. 10 by luck after his country forgot to send the players' numbers to FIFA (social networking sites)

shirt 10

On October 1, 1977, at Giants Stadium, in front of 76,000 fans, the owner of a thousand goals bid farewell to a friendly match played by the American team against the old club, Pele, Santos, where he played one way with each team.

Pele said at the time, "I lived here the best and most exciting moments of my life, and I feel very sorry that I will stop doing what I love most in life, which is playing football."

"Pele" took off the last shirt he wore in the middle of the field and threw it in the air, and it fell into the hands of "Jamie Maxtler", the "Seattle Sanders" player, who kept it without washing it, and put it in a deposit box at the "Seattle" bank.

He had received an offer of $100,000 years ago and refused to sell it, saying, "It is difficult for me to sell a piece of history. Its value for sports is higher than the money for selling it.. I feel it is a kind of sacrilege to sell something of this importance."

Christie's auction house had sold in the "Nostalgia" market a shirt worn by Pele in the 1970 World Cup final against Italy for 260,000 euros, and it was owned by Italian national team defender Roberto Rosato, who after the end of the match exchanged his shirt for a "Pele" shirt.

The value of a shirt worn by "Pele" for the American club "Cosmos" during its last season amounted to about 38 thousand dollars, and a shirt he wore was sold for 30 thousand euros during an auction of sports holdings held in the Italian city of Turin.

The wife of Charles Martinelli, the former shirt official, sewed the players' names and numbers onto the shirts.

"I loved sewing Pele shirts because his name was much shorter than the names of the other players," she said.

The complete collection of Pele, displayed by Martinelli, was sold at auction in London in 2016 for $4,200,000.

Pele was mispronouncing the name of his favorite player, the goalkeeper, "Billy", so his colleagues called him "Pele" mocking him (social networking sites)

spherical style

Pele was known as a talented striker and playmaker, and was distinguished by his high physical fitness, dribbling, elaborate passes, and high speed. He was also known for his proficiency in playing back balls, known as “scissors strikes” and “double strikes.”

The Brazilian magician was good at heading and long shots with equal accuracy, in addition to paying free kicks and penalty kicks, which he often refused to implement, and believed that it was a cowardly way to score goals.

Pele was also good at making plays, reading and anticipating the movements of his colleagues, and was distinguished by quick wit.

 Most notable goals

  • A goal against Fluminense club in 1961, classified as one of the greatest goals in the history of football, and a memorial plaque was placed for him, and it was written on it, "A goal that deserves a memorial plaque."

  • A goal against France in the 1958 World Cup matches.

  • A direct free kick goal against Romania in the 1970 World Cup.

  • A header goal against the Italian national team in 1970.

Pele after Brazil's victory in the World Cup final over Italy in 1970 (Associated Press)

Record numbers

  • Crowning the World Cup in 3 copies out of 4 in which he participated.

  • The youngest player in the history of the World Cup finals to score three "hat-trick" goals in one match.

  • He scored an exceptional 127 goals for Santos in one year.

  • He scored 92 "hat-tricks" in his football career.

  • He scored one thousand and 281 goals in one thousand and 363 matches (friendly and official), and he had published a book about his life story titled the number of his goals, which were recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

  • The brand "Pele" was ranked as the second largest brand in the world according to a poll in Europe in 1980.

  • In 1977, the American Cosmos team attracted 62,394 fans, and in the first leg, 77,891 fans.

Scandals

The Brazilian star pursued the scandal of the illegitimate son, who did not recognize him, and denied these rumors.

He also did not recognize his late daughter, Sandra, except by a court ruling issued in 1996, and he did not even attend her funeral. Before her death, his daughter, Sandra, published her book, "The King's Daughter He Doesn't Want."

A court ruling was issued against his son, Edinho, the former goalkeeper of “Santos” club, in 2005. He was convicted of several charges, including money laundering and drug trafficking, and was sentenced to 33 years, and after appealing the ruling, the sentence was reduced to 13 years.

Pele starred in the 1958 World Cup at the age of 17 and was able to achieve stardom and win the World Cup for that version (French)

They said about Pele

Brazil coach Tite:

"Pele was the only person I shook when I shook hands with him in 2018, the situation was like a dream for me to hug Pele and shake his hand."

وفي مارس/آذار 1977، قابل بيليه الرئيس الأميركي الأسبق جيمي كارتر، وقال له الأخير: "أنا جيمي كارتر ولا داعي لتعرفني بنفسك لأن الجميع يعرفك".

اللاعب كوستا بيريرا: "وصلت على أمل إيقاف رجل عظيم، لكنني ذهبت بعيدا مقتنعا بأنه لم يولد على نفس الكوكب مثله".

اللاعب كافو: "أحدث بيليه ثورة في كرة القدم، وأوقف الحرب، ووحد الدول والعائلات الموحدة، لم تكن هناك مشكلة عرقية، أو لغوية، ولدت عام 1970 وفي عام 2002 أصبحت بطل العالم وكان لي شرف استلام كأس العالم من بيليه".

كتب جاليانو عن شخصية بيليه في كتابه الشهير "كرة القدم بين الشمس والظل": "من حالفه الحظ منا ورآه يلعب، حصل على باقات من الجمال النادر، لحظات جديرة بالخلود تسمح لنا بالاعتقاد بأن الخلود موجود".

الفنان أندري وارهول: "بيليه من القلائل الذين ناقضوا نظريّتي، بدلا من 15 عاما من الشهرة سيحظى بـ15 قرنا".

بوبي شارلتون: "يعتريني الإحساس أحيانا أنه قد تم اختراع كرة القدم من أجل هذا اللاعب الرائع".

أليس بيليوس في كتابه "فوتبول": "توجد مشاهد عديدة توضح أن بيليه ينتمي للعالم أكثر من البرازيل، إنه نقطة مهمة دوليا، شخص بسيط وفتى أسمر البشرة كان فقيرا وأصبح أفضل لاعب في العالم من خلال موهبته، لكن البرازيليين لا يحبونه بنفس الطريقة التي يحبون بها جارينشا مثلا".

اللاعب الإنجليزي بوبي مور: "بيليه كان اللاعب المتكامل فهو يملك كل شيء، قدمان جيدتان، السحر في الهواء، السرعة والقوة، التوازن المثالي، والرؤية المستحيلة. لقد كان الأعظم لأنه كان يستطيع فعل أي شيء وكل شيء في ملعب لكرة القدم".

اللاعب البرازيلي زيكو: "هذا النقاش حول لاعب القرن سخيف، هناك إجابة واحدة ممكنة فقط، بيليه، إنه أعظم لاعب في كل العصور".

اللاعب الفرنسي ميشيل بلاتيني: "هنالك بيليه الرجل، ثم بيليه اللاعب، واللعب مثل بيليه هو اللعب كالملك".

اللاعب البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو: "بيليه أعظم لاعب في تاريخ كرة القدم، ولن يكون هناك سوى بيليه واحد".

صورة لبيليه في آخر مباراة له وضع على رأسه تاجا من الذهب الخالص، وطاف به أرجاء الملعب (الجزيرة)

من أشهر أقوال بيليه

ـ لقد ولدت لكرة القدم، تماما كما ولد بيتهوفن للموسيقى.

ـ أي طفل يلعب كرة القدم في جميع أنحاء العالم يريد أن يكون بيليه. لدي مسؤولية كبيرة لأبين لهم ليس فقط كيف يكونون لاعبي كرة قدم، ولكن أيضا كيف يكونون رجالا.

ـ هكذا سجلت هدفا على تشيكوسلوفاكيا.. قذفت الكرة بقوة نحو الهدف، دون تفكير ولكن بوعي تام.

The team that makes the first mistake may pay the highest price.

When I was young I used to look at people's feet, today people look at my feet.

When he was chosen as the best player in the 20th century, he was asked who Pele is and who is Addison Arantes do Nascimento, and he replied: “They are two people in one personality. For children and those who love football, he is a legend, a model for the whole world. But Addison is a person who has advantages and disadvantages, That's the difference."

Achievements

with Santos FC

  • The final of the Copa America in 1959.

  • Libertadores Cup in 1962 and 1963.

  • Intercontinental Cup in 1962 and 1963.

  • The Brazilian Cup in the years 1961 – 1962 – 1963 – 1964 – 1965 – 1968.

  • Sao Paulo League title in the years 1956 – 1958 – 1960 – 1961 – 1964 – 1965 – 1967 – 1968 – 1969 – 1973.

Pele was able to win the World Cup three times in 1958, 1962 and 1970 (social networking sites)

Awards

  • The player of the 20th century equally with the late Argentine legend Diego Maradona.

  • رياضي القرن من قبل اللجن الأولمبية الدولية عام 1999.
  • أول من حقق جائزة "لوريس لايفتايم أتشيفمنت" عام 2000.
  • في قائمة الأشخاص الأكثر أهمية في القرن الـ20، التي أصدرتها مجلة "تايم" الأميركية.
  • جائزة الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم المئوية عام 2004.
  • كرة الفيفا الشرفية عام 2013، من الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم.
  • سفير النوايا الحسنة لليونسكو عام 1993.
  • كأس هداف ليبرتادوريس عام 1965.
  • هداف إنتركونتيننتال عامي 1962 و1963.
  • هداف الدوري البرازيلي في أعوام 1961، 1963، 1964.
  • هداف كامبيوناتو باوليستا 11 مرة في أعوام : 1957، 1958، 1959، 1960، 1961، 1962، 1963 1964، 1965، 1969، 1973.
  • هداف تورنيو ريو ساو باولو عام 1963.
  • أفضل لاعب في كأس العالم عام 1958.
  • الكرة الفضية في كأس العالم عام 1958.
  • الكرة الذهبية (أفضل لاعب) في كأس العالم 1970.
  • هداف كوبا أميركا عام 1959.
  • الكرة الذهبية 7 مرات: 1958، 1959، 1960، 1961، 1963، 1964، 1970.
  • وسام الاستحقاق من الفيفا 1984.
  • رياضي السنة من بي بي سي عامي  1970 و2005.
  • جائزة لوريوس للإنجازات 2000.
  • عضو فريق العالم في القرن 20 عام 1998.
  • سفير الأمم المتحدة عام 1977، وسفير النوايا الحسنة لليونسكو عام 1993.
  • وسام فارس شرفي بدرجة قائد من بريطانيا العظمى 1997.
  • وسام الفيفا تكريما لمسيرة 80 عاما من العطاء عام 1984.
  • وسام الاستحقاق من اتحاد أميركا الجنوبية عام 1984.
  • وسام الاستحقاق الوطني من حكومة البرازيل عام 1991.

بيليه وابنتاه قبل وفاته بأيام (مواقع التواصل الإجتماعي)

الوفاة

توفي أسطورة كرة القدم البرازيلية بيليه، يوم الخميس 29 ديسمبر/كانون الأول 2022، عن عمر ناهز 82 عاما.

وأفاد بيان صادر عن مستشفى "ألبرت أينشتاين" في ساو باولو بالبرازيل، أن سبب الوفاة هو "فشل العديد من الأعضاء، الناتج عن تطور سرطان القولون".

The most famous Brazilian player was transferred to the hospital in Sao Paulo on November 29, 2022, due to what his medical team described as a re-evaluation of his chemotherapy treatment that he had been receiving since he underwent surgery to remove a colon tumor in September 2021.