Pelé

Edson Arantes do Nascimento — known to the world as Pelé — was born on 23 October 1940 in Três Corações, a small town in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. He grew up in poverty in Bauru, São Paulo, where he practised football with a makeshift ball stuffed with rags and newspapers. His extraordinary talent was obvious from childhood.

Pelé signed for Santos FC at the age of 15 and made his professional debut at 16. At 17, he became the youngest player ever to win the FIFA World Cup when Brazil defeated Sweden 5-2 in the 1958 final — scoring two goals in the final itself. He wept on the pitch after the final whistle. The world had never seen anything like him.

Over the next two decades, Pelé redefined what was possible in football. He won three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) — the only player in history to do so. He scored over 1,200 goals in his career — a figure disputed but widely accepted — including 77 for the Brazilian national team. He won six Brazilian championships and two Copa Libertadores titles with Santos.

Pelé's impact extended far beyond football statistics. When he played an exhibition match in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1967, both sides in the Nigerian Civil War declared a 48-hour ceasefire to watch him play. He was appointed Brazil's Minister of Sport in 1995 and worked tirelessly to combat corruption in Brazilian football. He was declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government.

Pelé died on 29 December 2022 at the age of 82 from colon cancer. Brazil declared three days of national mourning. His body lay in state at Santos' stadium, with hundreds of thousands of people queuing to pay their respects. He is widely regarded as the greatest footballer who ever lived.