Pele - biography, photos, personal life of the legendary football player. Footballer Pele, what he was like

The legendary Brazilian football player Pele was hospitalized on November 24 due to a urinary tract infection. November 27 at his clinic. Earlier it was reported that the football player was transferred to the intensive care unit due to worsening condition.

An outstanding Brazilian athlete, the most famous football player (striker) in history, Pele (real name Edson Arantes Do Nascimento) was born on October 23, 1940 in the small town of Tres Coracoes in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

The nickname "Pelé" stuck with the football player as a child, but even he himself does not know its meaning.

Pele's father, Dondinho (real name Joao Ramos Do Nascimento), himself a former football player, became his son's first teacher and passed on to him some of the secrets of sportsmanship.

At the age of seven, the future champion began playing for a local children's team, and at the age of 15 he joined the world-famous Santos club (state of Sao Paulo). Throughout his time playing for Santos (1956-1974), he won the Sao Paulo state title 11 times and became the tournament's top scorer the same number of times. He won the Brazilian Cup six times and the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup twice.

In 1958, as a member of the Brazilian national team, he made his debut at the World Cup in Sweden, where he scored his first goal for the national team, which he later called the most memorable and important goal in his sports biography, in a match with the Wales team. That year, the Brazilian national team won the World Cup for the first time, and Pele became the youngest champion in football history.

In 1959, while playing for Santos, Pele scored 126 goals in 100 matches, setting one of his three famous records included in the Guinness Book of Records.

At the 1962 and 1966 World Cups, he was unable to fully express himself on the field due to injuries. The final tournament of 1970 (the fourth in Pele’s sports biography) became triumphant - for him personally and for the entire team, whose composition at this championship many experts consider the strongest in the history of the Brazilian national team. Brazilian football players, who won the Jules Rimet Prize for the third time, received the right to keep it forever, and Pele, after the national team’s victory in Mexico, became the only three-time world football champion in history. It is symbolic that it was Pele who scored the 100th goal of the Brazilian national team in Mexico during its entire participation in the final tournaments of the World Cup.

In total, in his appearances for the national team (92 matches), he scored 77 goals against opponents - an achievement that still remains unsurpassed.

Throughout his career, Pelé scored 1,281 officially recorded goals (in 1,363 matches played for Santos, Cosmos and the national team). The most productive year in his biography was 1959: 126 goals.

The best scorer in the history of world football has 92 hat-tricks (in football and hockey this is the name for three goals scored in one match by one player), 30 matches where he scored four goals, and no less than six games in which Pele scored five goals each. The King of Football achieved another unique achievement in 1964, scoring eight goals in one match against Botafago.

Pele scored his anniversary - thousandth - goal on November 19, 1969 from a penalty kick in the Santos match against Vasco da Gama. The Brazilian Ministry of Communications issued a postage stamp in this regard - the only one in the world dedicated to the individual achievement of an individual football player, and in Santos November 19 is celebrated annually as "Pelé Day".

Having finished playing for Santos and the national team, in 1975 Pele signed a contract with the American professional club New York Cosmos (of the North American Soccer League - NASL), which became a sensation in the football world. Pele made the decision to return to big-time sports due to serious financial problems that had arisen, as well as from a desire to contribute to the growth of the popularity of football in the USA. Both goals set before coming to the USA were successfully achieved. By signing a contract with Cosmos, Pele became the highest paid athlete in the world at that time. And during his performances in America, attendance at European football matches there increased almost tenfold. On October 1, 1977, Pele, who added the title of US champion to his extensive collection of top awards and titles, played his farewell match - against Santos - and ended his football career.

The Brazilian government declared Pelé a "national treasure."

Many people tried to unravel Pele's "secret". According to experts, there were no weaknesses in Pele’s technique; his specific style of play largely changed the idea of the possibilities and the very essence of football. Many of the “miracles” he demonstrated on the field became legendary, and the goal scored in 1961 against Fluminense at the Maracanã stadium, after Pele single-handedly beat the entire opposing team on the way from his own penalty area, - was called the “goal of the century” and was immortalized by installing a memorial sign on the Maracanã.

Over the years of his sports career, Pele visited 88 countries, met with nine kings and one queen, 70 presidents, two popes.

In the mid-1970s, the film "Pelé. The Master and His Method" was released, awarded 11 international prizes.

A new biographical film about Pelé of the same name is due to be released in December 2014.

In 1976, the Pepsi-Cola Company established a $10,000 Pele Prize, awarded annually to the best player of the year (US or Canadian citizen).

In 1999, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) named Pelé the greatest athlete of the century (even though he never participated in the Olympic Games), and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) recognized him as the best football player of the 20th century.

In 2014, FIFA President Joseph Blatter presented Pelé with an honorary Ballon d'Or.

In 1969, Pele made his debut as an actor in the fantasy melodrama "Aliens", and three years later he played the main role in the film "Camp".

Subsequently, he starred in the film by the famous American director John Huston "Victory" (1981), as well as in the films "Pedro Mino" (1984), "Jackass and the King of Football" (1986).

In 1965, the autobiographical book “I am Pele” was published, for which the author received the Brazilian Gold Medal. He is also known as a television commentator, businessman, author and performer of his own songs.

In the second half of the 1990s, Pelé served as Brazil's Minister of Youth, Tourism and Sports.

The former striker devotes a lot of time to social activities (UN Goodwill Ambassador and UNICEF), promoting football and sports in general in different parts of the world. As part of a special educational program, he took part in the creation of an educational film for children about football.

Pele's work was continued by his son Edinho, who also joined Santos. But, unlike his father, he chose the role of goalkeeper.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

The famous football player Edson Arantisdo Nascimento, better known as Pele, is the king of football and a legendary figure. He received worldwide recognition - “The best athlete of the last century” and “The best football player of the 20th century.” The Brazilian striker took part in 1,363 matches, in which he scored 1,281 goals.

Nascimento is the only player in the world to have lifted the World Cup three times. Almost the entire population of the planet knows his name, his game still delights true football fans.

Childhood

The future symbol of Brazilian football was born on October 23, 1940, at the height of the Second World War. Pele was born into a family of athletes - his father played for the local football club Fluminense. In addition to Pele, the parents raised two more children - a son and a daughter. Why did the striker take the pseudonym Pele? It turns out that the boy was an ardent fan of the player Biele, but when he said his name, it seemed like “Pelé” to those around him.

That's what the boy was called. Naturally, the boy did not like this nickname. Over time, the new name became so ingrained in the young athlete that he stopped being ashamed of it and even began calling himself that. Soon the whole world learned who Pele was - so the hated nickname turned into a legendary name.

Family

Nascimento was born into a poor family, and therefore from an early age he began working part-time to help his parents feed two more children. He managed to work as a salesman, a waiter and even a janitor. The boy couldn't even afford to buy a real ball. But the passion for the game was so high that the young man was content with anything that even remotely resembled a soccer ball. At one time, this role was even played by a sock stuffed with waste paper, as well as an ordinary orange. As a teenager, Pele played in several amateur teams. Some experts attribute the striker's incredible technique to his passion for futsal. Pele was a player in a smaller version of the sports direction of the Radium club, in which he honed his ball-handling techniques.

Mini football

According to the Brazilian himself, mini-football is much harder to play than its big counterpart. On a small field the speeds are completely different - you need to make the right decision with lightning speed in order to make an accurate pass to a partner or shoot at goal. Limited space and too high a density of players on the court are the main indicators that determine the complexity of this sport.

When the guy turned 14 years old, he already played for adult mini-football teams. At one tournament, Pele did not even enter the required age category, but despite this, he was somehow inconceivably able to take part in the tournament, and even scored the most goals. The footballer was very proud of this achievement, because he wiped the noses of the older players.

Performances for Santos

When Pele was 15 years old, he already made his debut in big football for the Santos first team. In this match, a little-known striker was able to score a goal. The first club to suffer from the future legend of world football was Corinthians. The forward played for Santos for 18 years and won 11 championship titles with the team. In each game, the Brazilian became the top scorer and the most valuable player. In his second season for Santos, Pele scored 59 goals against opponents, thereby setting a championship record. While playing for the club, he won the Brazilian Cup six times, won the Libertadores Cup twice and lifted the Intercontinental Cup twice.

Playing for the national team

He made his debut as part of the Brazilian national team at the Swedish World Cup in 1958. Pele played his first match in the T-shirt of the national team against the Soviet team, and already in the knockout game at the quarter-final stage the striker was able to score a goal. The first team to miss the goal from the legendary Pele was the Wales team. In the semi-final match, Brazil destroyed the French squad with a score of 5:2. The hero of the game was young Pele, who scored three goals.

In the final, the Brazilians met with the hosts and main favorites of the tournament - the Swedish national team. After a quick missed goal, the young Brazilian took the reins of the game into his own hands and with two goals scored brought his team victory, and with it the first ever title of world champion. Pele became the youngest football player to win the World Cup. This record remains unbroken in our time.

Three-time World Cup winner

At the world championships of 19652 and 1966, Nascimento did not shine as brightly as at the Swedish World Cup, and the player’s injuries were to blame. But already at the next Mexican World Cup, the football player demonstrated to the whole world who the real Pele is.

Having confidently defeated all their opponents, the Brazilians went home with their third World Cup, and Nascimento became the only three-time winner of gold medals - a success that none of the football players has yet been able to repeat. In total, Pele appeared on the field wearing his country's national team jersey 92 times and was able to score 77 goals. He has been Brazil's top scorer for over 40 years. But many wonder why he never tried on the captain's armband.

"New York Space"

In 1975, the three-time world champion was transferred to the American football club New York Cosmos. The transition of the legendary forward to the American League aroused incredible interest among the population. Football in those years in America was at a low level and could not adequately compete with other sports. Pele agreed to move to the American club because he was experiencing financial difficulties.

In addition to the money problem, the Brazilian wanted to increase the popularity of football in the United States. Pele played in the American club for two years and was able to increase interest in football several times. With the new lineup, the king of football won the North American Football League.

Pele's personal life

After finishing his career, Nascimento made public a confession regarding his homosexual experience. According to Pele himself, at the age of 14 he had sexual experience with another guy. The footballer claims that this incident was the first and last in his life and in no way influenced his future orientation.

In 1966, the Brazilian football player married Rosemary Shelby, who bore him a daughter and two sons. The couple was married for 16 years, after which they separated. An affair with a housekeeper led to the birth of an illegitimate daughter in 1961. The footballer's paternity was proven using DNA analysis.

In 1994, Pele decided to get married again, choosing a certain Assyria Lemos as his life partner. The woman gave Nasciment twins. And again, 16 years later, the couple divorced. In 2016, 76-year-old Pele decided to legalize the relationship for the third time. The Brazilian's new wife is 26 years younger than him.

Pelé, whose real name is Edson Arantisdo Nascimento, is a legendary Brazilian footballer who played for Santos and New York Cosmos. He became a symbol of the generation of players of the 50s and 60s after becoming world champion three times. This record has not yet been broken. According to the Football Federation and the International Olympic Committee, Pele was recognized as the best athlete of the 20th century. During his own football biography, Pele scored 1289 goals in 1363 games.

The future world football star was born in 1940 in the tiny Brazilian town of Tres Coracoes, located in the state of Minas Gerais. The football player's family lived very poorly, and the ball was perhaps the only entertainment available to the children. The boy's father, whose name was Dondinho, was himself a former magician of the game of millions, and it was his father who was the first person to show Edson the basic elements of football.

When the child was seven years old, Edson was accepted into the base of the local children's team. It was then that the boy received the famous nickname Pele, however, today the football player no longer remembers why and what this nickname meant. The coach, seeing the speed of the little player, immediately put Pele in the attack line. A couple of years later, the section was headed by former Brazilian national team player Waldemar de Brito, who told the mentors of the famous Santos club from Sao Paulo about the talented teenager. Soon Pele signed his first professional contract and made his debut for the main team at the age of 15.

Football

Pele played his first game as a professional football player in September 1956, that is, at less than 16 years old. Pele came out against the giants of Brazilian football, the Corinthians club, and immediately scored a goal. The phenomenal player played for Santos for 19 years and scored almost 650 goals. Such performance helped Pele become a champion 11 times, win the Cup 6 times and win more than once on the international stage.

After Santos, Pele moved to the American club Cosmos from New York. With this transfer, Pele made a splash in the world, since European football was not popular in the USA at that time. But the King, as Pele was already called by that time, attracted fans to the stadiums with his own play. According to statistics, during the Brazilian striker's performance in America, match attendance increased tenfold.

Experts have repeatedly tried to analyze the Pele phenomenon. As a result, the researchers agree that the football player had a combination of unusual physical characteristics and an incredible desire to achieve results. Scientists have no doubt that the player had an innate talent, but Pele also spent several hours practicing his dribbling techniques and shots on goal after his teammates had gone home.

Pele's technique turned out to be sensational for that time. The football player alone was able to wrap around more than half of the players from the opponent’s camp and shoot with precision into the corner of the goal. Pele scored in this vein more than once, and just such dribbling in the match with Fluminense led to a goal called the best of the century. There is even a memorial sign installed at the Maracanã stadium in honor of this event. The number of goals scored during Pele's career against rivals Santos, Cosmos and the Brazilian national team has exceeded a thousand.

After football

The popularity of the athlete was so fabulous that when the athlete wrote and published his autobiography “I am Pele,” those compatriots of the football player who could not read began to master literacy in order to familiarize themselves with the memoirs.

The Brazilian government decided to take advantage of the football player's wide popularity, and in the 90s, Pele was appointed Minister of Youth Affairs, Tourism and Sports. Pele managed to promote the law, now named after the football player, thanks to which corruption was reduced in Brazilian football. Pele also became a Goodwill Ambassador and spent a lot of effort and money on popularizing and promoting sports and a healthy lifestyle.

The man also realized himself as a businessman. For example, the football player’s signature coffee brand “Cafe Pele” is known all over the world. Also, more than once Pele acted as a TV commentator, TV presenter and even a singer of original songs. But Pele is best known after finishing his career as an actor.

Movies

Pele played himself in more than 50 films. For example, these were the fantasy comedy “Tycoon Othello and Billion Dollar Deals,” the humorous film “Tramps and the King of Football,” and the sports drama “The Price of Victory.” But there are about a dozen films where Pele played as a professional actor. The most notable among them are the melodrama “Putting It in Motion”, the crime drama “Pickpockets”, the family film “Little Miracle”, and the war film “Victory”.

The biographical project “Pelé: The Birth of a Legend,” which tells about the childhood and youth of the famous player, is also enjoying great success. This film was released in the spring of 2016.

Personal life

Pele's confession that the football player's first sexual experience at the age of 14 was homosexual had a great resonance in society. But the football player insists that at that time this was considered almost an everyday occurrence among teenagers. Subsequently, the man maintained exclusively heterosexual relationships.

Pele first married Rosemeridos Reis Sholbi in 1966 and lived with his wife for 16 years. During this time, three children were born into the family, but only one, Edson Sholbi Nascimento or Edinho, became a professional football player, the goalkeeper of Santos.

In 2014, Edinho was sentenced to 33 years in prison for drug distribution and money laundering that was obtained through drug trafficking. Edson did not admit his own guilt. In addition, the man began to challenge the verdict. Edinho only admitted that he actually used drugs, but the football player stated that he never sold them, and also did not participate in any way in the sale of substances or in money laundering.

After the divorce, Pele began a long affair with the Brazilian singer and model Maria da Grazia Meneguel, better known under the pseudonym Shusha. They met when the girl was only 17 years old, and many believe that Pele was the reason for her advancement in show business.

The footballer got married for the second time in 1994. The footballer's new girlfriend turned out to be psychologist and gospel singer Assyria Lemos Seixas. They had twins Joshua and Celeste, however, this marriage cracked after 14 years of existence. In addition, the athlete has two more illegitimate daughters from different women.

At 73, Pele once again walked down the aisle with Marcia Aoki. The woman is of mixed Brazilian and Japanese descent and is involved in the supply of medical equipment to South America. Marcia is 30 years younger than her husband.

Pele now

In 2016, Pele presented his own “Hope”, which is dedicated to the Olympic Games. These Games were held in Rio de Janeiro and became the first Olympics held in South America.

“Nadezhda” is not the only song of the famous athlete. Pele has long been interested in music, records songs and even worked on the creation of a record by singer Alice Regina.

2017 brought sad news to the football player. Edson Sholbi Nascimento, Pele's son, surrendered to the police to serve a sentence for money laundering, for which Edinho was convicted back in 2014. The Court of Appeal changed the sentence on February 23, 2017. Instead of the original 33 years old Edinho. The day after the verdict was announced, Edinho himself arrived at the Santos police station to surrender to the police.

Awards and achievements

1957, 1963 – winner of the Rock Cup (as part of the Brazilian national team)
1958, 1962, 1970 – world champion (as part of the Brazilian national team)
1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973 - Paulista League champion (with Santos)
1959, 1963, 1964, 1966 - winner of the Rio Sao Paulo Tournament (with Santos)
1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 - Brazilian Cup champion (with Santos)
1962, 1963 - winner of the Libertadores Cup (with Santos)
1962,1963 - winner of the Intercontinental Cup (as part of Santos)
1968 - Robertan Cup winner (with Santos)
1968 - winner of the Super Cup of Intercontinental Champions (with Santos)
1977 – champion of the North American Soccer League (as part of the New York Cosmos)
1995 - appointed Minister of Sports of Brazil.
1998 - Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire 2000 - Best Footballer of the 20th Century according to FIFA
1999 - IOC Athlete of the Century
2002 - player of the World Cup team of all times
2014 – winner of the FIFA Golden Ball award.

Filmography

1971 – “Tycoon Othello and billion-dollar transactions”
1972 – “To set in motion”
1979 – “Pickpockets”
1981 – “Victory”
1983 – “Little Miracle”
1985 – “Pedro Miko”
1986 – “Precise Strike”
1986 – “Tramps and the King of Football”
1989 – “Loneliness, a beautiful love story”
2016 – “Pelé: Birth of a Legend”

Name: Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pelé)

Place of birth: Tres Coracoes, Brazil

Occupation: football player, minister, actor, TV presenter, TV commentator

Marital status: Married

Edson Arantis do Nascimento, better known to the general public as Pele, is a legendary Brazilian football player who became a real symbol of the generation of athletes of the 50-60s of the twentieth century. He played for the Brazilian Santos and New York Cosmos. Pele is a three-time world champion and this achievement still remains unique and unsurpassed, which is why he is recognized as the best athlete of the twentieth century (according to the IOC).

Origins

Edson Arantis do Nascimento was born on October 23, 1940 in the small town of Tres Coracoes (Minas Gerais, Brazil) in an ordinary poor family of a former football player. It was his father who instilled in the future legend a love of football and showed some of the initial, basic elements of the game. And the ball at home was, in fact, the only entertainment available.

At the age of seven, Edson became a member of the local children's soccer team. Even during that period, he received his nickname, by which he is recognized, but in connection with which he received it, Pele himself, alas, does not remember. The main distinguishing characteristic that the coach saw in the young football player was his speed in handling the ball, so he did not even have to experiment with the playing position for the boy - he immediately became a striker.

In the professional arena

Pele signed his first professional contract when he was not yet 16 years old - in September 1956. Santos scouts recognized enormous talent in the boy and immediately offered him a contract. It must be said that they were not at all mistaken in their decision, and Pele himself responded to the club with enormous devotion and love, spending 19 long years there - a figure incomprehensible to modern football players, who are constantly in search of better offers.

In his first match at the professional level, he scored a goal, which could not help but amaze the public, because he was the youngest of those on the field. In total, he played 496 games with the club, in which he scored 504 times, became the National Champion 11 times and won the Cup 6 times. Pele achieved equally impressive results at the national team level, scoring 77 goals in 92 games and becoming a three-time World Champion.

Only towards the end of his career did Pele decide to change his home club, moving to the USA. With this, he greatly surprised fans not only in Brazil, but all over the world, because at that time football in America was just beginning to develop. The legendary football player spent the last two years of his career with the New York Cosmos, playing 64 matches and scoring 37 times.

Life after football

At the end of his career, Pele began writing an autobiography, which, by the way, prompted many of his compatriots to learn minimal literacy in order to become familiar with it. In the 90s, the Brazilian government offered the still popular former football player the position of Minister of Youth and Sports, which he accepted. In politics, he also managed to achieve very impressive results, becoming the author of a law that helped reduce the level of corruption in Brazilian football.

Pele was successful in everything he did. So, after a political career, he became a fairly successful businessman (the world knows the Cafe Pele brand, owned by the legendary football player). But after football, Pele achieved his greatest results... as an actor, having played in more than 60 films. True, he played mostly himself, but you can count about a dozen films in which he showed himself as a professional actor. Naturally, speaking about Pele after football, one cannot fail to note his services as a popularizer of the game for millions around the world.

As for his personal life, he is currently married for the third time. By the way, I got married for the third time not so long ago – in 2016. From two previous marriages he has 5 children and two more - illegitimate.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the most famous and perhaps greatest footballer of all time, was born in Brazil on October 23, 1940. He grew up in a poor family. Since childhood, he was fond of the game, in which he later became an idol for millions, although his first balls were made from socks and newspapers.

From 1956, when he signed his first professional contract, until his farewell match in 1977, he scored 757 goals (or 1,283 depending on how you count) and won three World Cups. Pele is called the Black Pearl and the King of Football. No other player has come close to his achievements. He was recognized as the best football player of the 20th century according to the FIFA Football Commission and the best athlete of the 20th century according to the International Olympic Committee.

In the summer of 1958, the incredibly talented, but still very young Pele flew to Sweden with the Brazilian national team for the World Cup. When he returned home, his name was known throughout the planet.

Phenomenon

Pele (right) with his Santos teammates in 1957. Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images.

Pelé was not yet 16 years old when he joined Santos, his first professional club, for whom he played his first international match and scored his first goal as Brazil beat Argentina 2-1 on July 7, 1957 . In less than a year, Pele would become a soccer star in Sweden.

Examination

Doctors examine Pelé in 1958. Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images.

In 1958, Pelé was selected for Brazil's World Cup squad before suffering a knee injury that kept him out of the first two games of the tournament. (The Brazilians won against Austria and drew with England.) The young striker appeared in the starting lineup for his team in the game against the USSR national team.

Debut

Pele (third from left) lines up with the Brazilian team before the match against the Soviet Union. Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images.

On June 15, 1958, Pele became the youngest participant in the World Championships, a record he held for 24 years. (The record was broken in 1982 by Northern Irish footballer Norman Whiteside, who was 17 years and 41 days old at the time, six months younger than Pele in 1958.) Brazilian footballer Vava, Pele's teammate, scored two goals against Soviet team, and Brazil beat the USSR with a score of 2:0.

Strategist

Pele, known as the "grandmaster" of passing, plays a board game. Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images.

First goal

Pele's teammates congratulate him after scoring the winning goal. Photo: Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images.

Brazil played Wales in the quarter-finals. In the 66th minute, Pele opened the scoring and scored the only goal of the match. Brazil reached the semi-finals and Pele etched his name into the record books as the youngest player ever to score a goal in a World Cup.

Autograph signing

Photo: adoc-photos/Corbis via Getty Images.

Photo: PA Images via Getty Images.

Hat trick

Pele scores the first of three goals on June 24. Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images.

On June 24, Pele scored three goals - the third, fourth and fifth, as a result, the Brazilian national team beat the French national team with a score of 5:2. French footballer Juste Fontaine, who holds the record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup (13 goals in the 1958 World Cup), later said: “ When I saw Pele play, I felt it was time for me to take a well-deserved rest».

View from the stands

Pele scores another goal against France.

On the front pages

Pele and his teammates look through newspapers before the match against Sweden. Photo: Philippe Le Tellier/Paris Match via Getty Images.

Pele relaxes during training. Photo: Keystone/Getty Images.

Two kings

The future King of Football and the King of Sweden at the World Cup Final. Photo: Keystone/Getty Images.“And when the king of Sweden came down from the stands onto the field to shake my hand, it flashed through my head: “God, does my father know about this back in Brazil?”

Game with the Swedes

Pele and Swedish goalkeeper Kalle Svensson in the World Cup final. Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images.

On June 29, Brazil met host country Sweden at the championship. The hosts of the tournament scored the first goal in the fourth minute of the match, but Brazil seized the initiative and scored the ball twice into the opponents' goal.

Defeat of the Swedes

Photo: Bettmann Archive.

In the 55th minute, Pele scored a spectacular goal.

Pele number 10 with his teammates on the field after winning the World Cup. Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images.

In the 90th minute, Pele scored again, this time with a header. It was his second goal of the game, as Brazil won 5-2. " And then I suddenly lost consciousness in front of the gate and, Pele recalls in his autobiography, “Confessions of a Lover in Life,” published in 2006. – Garrincha ran up and lifted my legs so that the blood would flow to my head. When I woke up, the game was over. I was overwhelmed with emotions».

Pele celebrates Brazil's victory. Photo: Philippe Le Tellier/Paris Match via Getty Images.

Takeoff

The Brazilian national team and Pele retained the championship title in the next two World Cups (three times in a row).

Photo: Philippe Le Tellier/Paris Match via Getty Images.

In 1977, Pele, having collected an extraordinary collection of awards and titles, played his farewell match and ended his football career. But his popularity, like his skill, remained phenomenal. He became UNESCO Ambassador in 1994, Brazil's Minister of Sports in 1995, and was named the greatest athlete of the century by the IOC in 1999.

When he wrote the book “I am Pele,” many illiterate Brazilians began to learn to read and write in order to read the memoirs of their famous compatriot. He was photographed more than any movie star, and was awarded a record number of honorary citizen titles from cities and countries.

And it all started in Sweden. Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images.