Pelé
[Edson Arantes do Nascimento]
Soccer
b. Oct. 23, 1940, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Generally considered the greatest soccer player in history, Pelé combined great speed with dazzling athletic ability that enabled him to dash past defenders and get off powerful scoring kicks, often from seemingly impossible angles.
Sometimes known as the "Black Pearl," he was probably the most famous and most popular athlete in the world before satellite communications made stars such as Michael Jordan internationally known. At seventeen, Pelé led Brazil to the 1958 World Cup, scoring 6 of the team's 11 goals during the last three rounds.
Pelé also played for World Cup champions in 1962 and 1970, when he put on a brilliant performance in the final game against Italy, making an amazing leap to head in Brazil's first goal and assisting on two others in a 4-1 win. He was the first ever to play for three World Cup winners.
He announced his retirement from World Cup competition after that victory, but in 1975 he accepted a three-year, $2.8 million contract to play for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.
His fame was so great, even among Americans who knew little or nothing about soccer, that NASL attendance increased by nearly 80 percent during his three years in the league. When he played his final match on Oct. 1, 1977, it was broadcast to 38 countries and covered by nearly 700 journalists.
That was an exhibition contest between the Cosmos and his former Brazilian team, Santos. Pelé played the first half for the Cosmos, the second half for Santos.
During his 22 years as a player, he scored 1,280 goals in 1,360 games and averaged a goal a game in international play. He holds records for international goals with 97 and for career hat tricks with 92.
In 2000, Pelé was voted Sportsman of the Century by the French magazine L'Equipe and the Athlete of the Century by the national Olympic committees of the world, even though he never competed in the Olympics.
Since his retirement, Pelé has served as Brazil's ambassador of sports and has worked extensively for UNICEF on children's causes.