Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Every generation crowns its own greatest, but Pelé remains the reference point against which all others are argued. The Guinness-recognized 1,279 goals in 1,363 matches is staggering, yet what I admire more is how a boy from a small town in Minas Gerais became the twentieth century's most beloved athlete without losing his warmth. He later tried film and politics, but his real legacy is making the number ten shirt a symbol of joy itself. When he died in 2022, the whole sport seemed to pause, proof that some figures transcend statistics. For me, Pelé is less a player than the founding myth of modern football.
Overview
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Pelé
- Name (Japanese)
- ペレ
- Reading
- ぺれ
- Born
- October 23, 1940 – December 29, 2022
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Dragon
- Origin
- Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 173 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- association football player / politician / film actor / actor / athlete
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1997 Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- 1967 Order of Rio Branco
- 1973 honorary citizen of Baltimore
- 2009 Distinguished Guest of Mexico City
- 2009 Llaves de la Ciudad de Mexico
- 1970 BBC World Sport Star of the Year
- 1973 South American Footballer of the Year
- 1991 National Order of Merit
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.pele10.org
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/pele/
- Xhttps://x.com/Pele
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9A%E3%83%AC
Association football player — see all → · Politician — see all → · More people from Brazil →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.