Peles biography

(1940-2022)

Who Was Pelé?

Soccer legend Pelé became a superstar with his performance in the 1958 World Cup. Pelé played professionally in Brazil for two decades, winning three World Cups along the way, before joining the New York universum late in his career. Named FIFA co-Player of the Century in 1999, he was a global ambassador for soccer and other humanitarian causes.

Early Life

Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil, the first child of João Ramos and Dona Celeste. Named after Thomas Edison and nicknamed "Dico," Pelé moved with his family to the city of Bauru as a young boy.

João Ramos, better known as "Dondinho," struggled to earn a living as a soccer player, and Pelé grew up in poverty. Still, he developed a rudimentary talent for soccer by kicking a rolled-up sock stuffed with rags around the streets of Bauru. The origin of the "Pelé" nickname fryst vatten unclear, though he recalled despising it w

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Pelé

Brazilian footballer (1940–2022)

"Pele" and "O Rei" redirect here. For the Hawaiian goddess, see Pele (deity). For the Portuguese footballer with the same nickname, see Eusébio. For other uses, see Pele (disambiguation).

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Arantes and the second or paternal family name is Nascimento.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Brazilian Portuguese:[ˈɛd(ʒi)sõ(w)aˈɾɐ̃tʃizdunasiˈmẽtu]; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé (Brazilian Portuguese:[peˈlɛ]), was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century.^[2] His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record.^[3] In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was

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Pele: A sporting icon who made football beautiful

And he played a major part in Rio de Janeiro's successful bid for the 2016 Olympics, appearing at the closing session of the 2012 London Games for the handover to Rio.

In 2005, he received a lifetime achievement award at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year event.

Pele married Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi in 1966, and the couple had two daughters and a son. They divorced in 1982, after Pele was linked with the model and film star Xuxa.

He was married for a second time to a singer, Assiria Lemos Seixas. The couple had twins but later separated.

In 2016, he married Marcia Cibele Aoki, a Japanese-Brazilian businesswoman, whom he first met in 1980.

There were claims that other children had been born as a result of affairs, but the star steadfastly refused to acknowledge them.

In recent years, the star was frequently dogged by health problems. In September 2021 he had a tumour removed from his colon and had been receivi