Pele: The Black Pearl who Conquered the World

Pele was born on 23rd October 1940. His birth name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento. He is widely regarded as the best footballer in the history. 

Pele started his football career with Brazilian club Santos at the age of 15 years. He scored 4 goals on his debut against Corinthians. He played over 1000 games for Santos.

Pele won the World Cup with Brazil for the first time in 1958. He scored two goals in the final against hosts Sweden. He was then wanted by several top European clubs but decided to stay in Brazil with Santos.

Pele then won two more World Cups in 1962 and 1970. He scored a total of 95 goals for Brazil, 77 of which came in official matches. Pele finished his Santos career in 1974 and then joined New York Cosmos a year later.

During his New York Cosmos days, Pele came to India and played against Kolkata club Mohun Bagan. He had a strong connection with Kolkata and the Bengali culture and again returned to the City of Joy in 2015. He was the most expensive athlete during his New York Cosmos days.

Pele scored his 1000th career goal on November 19th, 1969. This days is celebrated as Pele Day since then. He is known as 'Perola Negra' in Brazil, which means Black Pearl.

Pele was regarded as a National Treasure by Brazil in 1961. He was also voted the athlete of the century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. 

Pele was suffering from Colon cancer for a long time and his brave fight with the disease ended on December 29, 2022. The mortal body departs, but the legacy remains forever.