The great Pele, what makes him a legend
▪︎Pele, is the only player in history to win three World Cups. He became an icon of the game after winning the World Cup in 1958 as a 17-year-old, netting twice in the final to defeat hosts Sweden.
▪︎Pelé’s stardom grew throughout the 1960s. Legend says the two factions of the Nigerian Civil War decided upon a 48-hour ceasefire so that they could watch Pelé during an exhibition match in Lagos.
▪︎After signing for Santos, Pelé became the leading goal scorer in the Brazilian club’s history. He also led them to the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores titles.
▪︎The superstar received a number of offers from European clubs but Brazilian President Jânio Quadros declared him a national treasure making it difficult for him to ply his trade in another country.
▪︎In 1975, Pelé agreed to a $7 million contract with the New York Cosmos for a year and made the NASL a big attraction.
▪︎Pelé has two Guinness Book of World Records in his name. He is the only footballer to have won the FIFA World Cup on three occasions. The second record was for scoring the most number of career goals in football. He scored 1283 career goals in 1363 games.
▪︎Pelé has scored a record 92 hat tricks in his career.
▪︎Retirement: Pelé first announced his retirement from football in 1974 but then returned to play for New York Cosmos in 1975. He played his final exhibition game in a game between New York and Santos in October 1977, a game in which he played for both sides.
▪︎After retirement, Pelé was appointed as Minister of Sport in Brazil in 1995 and served till 1998.
▪︎He is a global ambassador for soccer and other humanitarian causes.
Rip The King Of Football.
