PELÉ. IT’S JUST ONE WORD, one name, but it is all people need to hear. It is a name through the ages, a name that will remain recognised for years, decades, centuries after his passing. He is the greatest and, although there have been many contenders to his throne, he remains ‘The King’.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, to give him his full name, is still widely considered the best footballer in history and one of the greatest sportsmen of all time, even though he last kicked a ball in anger in 1977.

The evidence for this is clear for everyone to see. He is the only football player in history to win three World Cups. He has more assists in World Cup history than anyone else, with ten. This includes six in one tournament in 1970, and three (another record) in World Cup Finals. He also shares the record for most goals in World Cup Finals with Sir Geoff Hurst, Zinedine Zidane and Vava, with three. He is the youngest winner, player, goalscorer and striker to score a hat-trick in World Cup history and went on to score in four separate World Cup tournaments. In 95 international games in the iconic yellow and green of Brazil, Pelé scored 77 goals, another record.

His club statistics are no less impressive. He scored 643 times in 659 competitive games for Brazilian club, Santos. In doing so he hauled little Santos up to become national champions on multiple occasions and world club champions, despite being seen as a relatively minor club compared to the giants from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. He scored the most hat-tricks in the history of professional football with 92. In total he scored 1,283 goals in 1,363 games, an astonishing total and ratio, which includes the most goals in a calendar year when he found the net an incredible 129 times in 1959.

He was a deadly striker, of course, but also the creator of beautiful goals. His shot was as fast and hard as a cannonball, but he also chipped, stroked and caressed the ball into the net; or sent a thudding header past helpless goalkeepers, despite being only 5ft 8in in height, as he hung seemingly forever in the air like a salmon leaping from a stream. He could bend the ball, which made him a lethal taker of free kicks, and was a deadly penalty scorer as well, although he once stated that he disliked scoring from the spot as it lacked the purity of a goal in open play.

He dribbled his way past defender after defender, nutmegging them or spiralling on his fast feet and leaving opponents kicking at air. He was quick, fit, tough and fair. And he always played with a big, wide smile on his face. At a time when defenders tried everything – legal and often not – to stop him in his tracks, Pelé was always known for his fair play and sportsmanship.

His honours are too many to mention but he is widely recognised to be the greatest footballer ever, the first black, global sporting superstar and the second greatest sportsman in history behind Muhammad Ali.

Other names are mentioned from time to time. Perhaps Diego Maradona has been his closest challenger, but Pelé’s statistics, his extraordinary World Cup success, his achievements at club level (rather like the diminutive Argentinian at Napoli), and his records that stand to this day are the reasons why Pelé remains number one in most sports fans’ eyes.

Not only sports fans. The very best footballers of all time are unanimous in their view as well. Johan Cruyff, the late, great Dutch star who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the Brazilian superstar, said: “Pelé was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic.”

Franz Beckenbauer, the German captain who won World Cups both as a player and manager, agreed. “Pelé is the greatest player of all time. He reigned supreme for twenty years. There’s no one to compare with him.”

The great Real Madrid and Hungary star, Ferenc Puskás, put it another way. “The greatest player in history was Di Stéfano,” he argued. “I refuse to classify Pelé as a player. He was above that.”

Alfredo Di Stéfano himself was in total agreement. “The best player ever? Pelé!” said the great from Argentina and Real Madrid.

Just Fontaine, the feted French striker and leading scorer at the 1958 World Cup, expressed his admiration too. “When I saw Pelé play it made me feel that I should hang up my boots,” he said.

Bobby Moore, the England captain who lifted the 1966 World Cup, became part of the most famous sporting photographs of all time when he embraced the Brazilian after losing a group game during the 1970 World Cup. “Pelé was the most complete player I have ever seen,” is how he described his friend and adversary. “He had everything. Two good feet, magic in the air. Quick. Powerful. Could beat people with skill. Could outrun people. He was not tall but seemed like a giant of an athlete on the pitch. Perfect balance and impossible vision. He was the greatest because he could do anything and everything on the pitch.”

Moore’s famous England teammate, Bobby Charlton, concurred. “I sometimes think football was created for this magical player.”

Michel Platini, arguably France’s finest ever player, is another global legend of the game who doffs his beret to the Brazilian’s supremacy. “To play like Pelé is to play like God,” he opined.

Today’s superstars bow to the inevitable as well. Cristiano Ronaldo, himself considered by many to be included in the top five footballers of all time, knows his place in the pecking order. “Pelé is the greatest player in football history, and there will only ever be one Pelé,” he admitted, quite freely.

Even the great Nelson Mandela was an avid member of his fan club. “To watch Pelé play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full.”

Cruyff, Platini, Moore, Beckenbauer, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Eusébio, Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and Maradona. They all deserve their place in the footballing heavens. But they will all sit at the feet of the God of football. Edson Arantes do Nascimento. It is a big name for a big star, the biggest and brightest of them all. But the world knows him as Pelé. And his feats with a football will be etched forever in the history of humankind.

“I was born to play
football, just like
Beethoven was
born to write music
and Michelangelo
was born to paint.”PELÉThe young superstar practices his ball juggling.Playing for Brazil against France in 1963.A smiling Pelé puts on his boots whilst on
international duty.“Pelé emerged at a time when Brazil, too, was emerging as a modern country… A Brazil that believed in itself, thatthought it could make it. There wasno more ‘Brazil, a promising country’.
Brazil was here. And Pelé didn’t play asupporting role. He was the lead.”FERNANDO HENRIQUE CARDOSOCelebrating with Brazil teammates Djalma Santos (left) and Garrincha.Demonstrating his prodigious leap.Pelé wrongfoots Estrada of Mexican team Guadalajara
Threatening the Sweden goal in 1966.
Pelé shoots past a Selection Pernambuco defender with the goalkeeper already beaten, whilst representing Selection São Paulo.Controlling a bouncing ball in 1963; In action for Santos in a 1972 friendly match against Japan.Dribbling past Gustavo Pena of Mexican team Guadalajara during a 2-1 victory in 1973.“The moment the ball arrived at Pelé’s feet, football transformed into poetry.”PIER PAOLO PASOLINIPelé leads out the Brazil national team before the international game with Italy at the San Siro stadium in Milan on May 12, 1963.“For Brazilians, speaking about Pelé is speaking about an entity, speaking about something far superior to everyone.”RONALDO NAZÁRIOPelé hits the back of the net for Santos; Taking the ball past the Malmo goalkeeper to score one of two goals for Brazil in a 1966 friendly match.‘Nutmegging’ an opponent whilst playing for Brazil.“To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full.”NELSON MANDELAClimbing above the Portugal goalkeeper in a 1963 friendly international in Lisbon.“Pelé was the
only footballer
who surpassed
the boundaries
of logic.”
JOHAN CRUYFFA relaxed Pelé takes an interview in his stride.“He loved being an idol. And so it all came very naturally to him, as if it was in his DNA.”
JUCA KFOURICelebrating the 1958 World Cup win with fans.Pelé attempts an audacious overhead kick against Belgium in a 5-0 victory at the Maracanã stadium in 1965.“His great secret was improvisation. Those things he did were in one moment. He had an extraordinary perception of the game.”
CARLOS ALBERTO TORRESJournalists record the Brazil players singing the national anthem before a World Cup qualifying match against Venezuela in 1969.“He was seen as royalty by black people, white people, multiracial people, everybody. He became a symbol of Brazil’s emancipation.”
GILBERTO GILAt Wembley Stadium to watch the 1963 European Cup Final between Benfica and Milan.In action for Santos during a 4-0 victory over SL Benfica in the US Cup of Champions in 1966.“Pelé took football to another level. Not only did he epitomise ‘the beautiful game’, but he also played with an effortless flair, the like of which had never been seen.”
GIANNI INFANTINOPelé is the centre of attention as he poses for a group of photographers.“Pelé was one
of the few who
contradicted my
theory: instead of
fifteen minutes
of fame, he will
have fifteen
centuries.”
ANDY WARHOLTaking a free kick during an exhibition game against Newcastle United at the Hong Kong Stadium in 1972.Pelé picks the ball out of the net after scoring his 1000th professional goal from the penalty spot against Vasco da Gama (top), is lifted up by his Santos teammates (centre) and breaks down with the emotion of the moment (bottom).Standing by a display of footballs to celebrate the unprecedented achievement.“The extraordinary is not to score 1,000 goals like Pelé — it’s to score one goal like Pelé.”
CARLOS DRUMMOND DE ANDRADEPelé is congratulated by his Brazil teammates after scoring one of his hat-trick goals in a 3-2 victory over France in 1963.“Pelé is the greatest player in football history, and there will only ever be one Pelé.”
CRISTIANO RONALDO Taking a moment to recharge his batteries.From top: Taking the pitch for his last ever international game against Yugoslavia on July 18, 1971; Pelé shoots during the match.Holding his shirt aloft to acknowledge the acclaim;
Hiding his face as the emotion becomes too much.