As the “King” Pelé enchanted fans and dazzled opponents December 30, 2022 The “King” Pele also charmed the crowd and dazzled his opponents<br /> December 30, 2022 Creation time: 10:29 AM Last updated: 10:29 AM Views: 21 Sao Paulo, Dec. 30 (U.S.): Pele was simply “The King”. He embraced the ‘beautiful game of football’ in his 1958 World Cup debut for Brazil and never let go. He won three World Cups and was widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his sport. His imposing and motivating presence has made him among the most recognizable figures in the world. Pele passed away on Thursday at the age of 82. He was treated for colon cancer 20 years ago. Pele was among the game’s most prolific goalscorers and spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents. His agility, athleticism and movement at the highest level in football have astounded everyone. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style of play that revolutionized the sport – one that embodied Brazilian elegance on the court. He took his country to soccer heights and became a global ambassador for his sport with a journey that began in the streets of the state of São Paulo, kicking a sock stuffed with newspaper or rags, according to the Associated Press. “Pelé changed everything. He turned football into art and entertainment,” said Neymar, another Brazilian soccer player, on Instagram. “Football and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the king! He’s gone, but his magic will last. Eternal Pele! “ In talking about the greatest football player, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside him. Different sources, counting different combinations of games, list Pelé’s total goals as anywhere between 650 (league matches) to 1,281 (all senior matches, some against lower level competition). When Maradona interviewed Pele, he asked the Brazilian in a playful way how he had accumulated so many goals. The player who would be dubbed ‘The King’ was introduced to the world at the age of 17 at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the tournament’s youngest player ever. Pele was the emblem of his country’s victory in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. He scored in the final and set up an indifferent assist for Carlos Alberto for the final goal in a 4-1 win over Italy. The image of Pele in a bright yellow Brazilian jersey, with the number 10 stamped on the back, remains alive with football fans everywhere. As does his celebration of his trademark goal—a leap with a right fist raised high above his head. Pele’s fame was such that in 1967 the factions of Nigeria’s civil war agreed to a brief cease-fire so that he could play an exhibition match in the country. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II awarded him a knighthood in 1997. When Pele visited Washington to help popularize the game in North America, it was the President of the United States who reached out first. Ronald Reagan said, “You don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pele is.” Pele was Brazil’s first modern national hero, but he rarely spoke about racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to be descended from the white minority. Pele’s life after football took many forms. He was a politician – Brazil’s extraordinary sports minister – a wealthy businessman, and an ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations. He’s had roles in movies, TV series, and even songs and mixtapes of popular Brazilian music. Pele was an ambassador for his sport until his later years, but as his health deteriorated, his outings became less frequent. After he needed a hip replacement, he started using a cane. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, in the small town of Tres Curaco in the interior of Minas Gerais on October 23, 1940, Pele grew up in the gleaming shoes of buying modest soccer equipment. His father was also a player. Pele’s talent caught attention when he was 11 years old, and a local professional player brought him to Santos’ youth teams. Despite his young age and 5-foot-8 frame, Pele scored against grown men with the same ease he showed against his friends back home. He made his debut for the Brazilian club at the age of 15 in 1956, and the club quickly gained worldwide fame. The name Pele came from him mispronouncing the name of a player named Pele. He later became known simply as “O Rei” – The King. Pele went to the 1958 World Cup as a reserve but became a regular part of his country’s championship team. His first goal, in which he flicked the ball over the head of a defender and raced around to kick the ball into the net, was voted one of the best goals in World Cup history. The 1966 World Cup in England – won by the hosts – was bitter for Pele, who at that time was considered the best player in the world. Brazil were knocked out in the group stage and Pele, enraged by Portugal’s irregularities and hard moves, swore that this would be his last World Cup. He changed his mind and rejuvenated himself at the 1970 World Cup. In a match against England, he headed in a certain score, but great goalkeeper Gordon Banks turned the ball over the crossbar in a stunning move. Pele likened the save – one of the best in World Cup history – to “a salmon climbing a waterfall”. Later, he scored the opening goal in the final match against Italy, his last World Cup match. In all, Pele played 114 times for Brazil, scoring 95 goals – including 77 in official matches. Most of his goals have come with Santos, resulting in five national titles, two Copa Libertadores and two Club World Championships – all in the 1960s. His career with Santos spanned more than three decades until he entered semi-retirement after the 1972 season. Wealthy European clubs tried to sign him, but the Brazilian government intervened to prevent him from being sold, declaring him a national treasure. Fast and fluid gameplay like “O Jogo Bonito” – Portuguese for “The Beautiful Game”. And in the midst of it all, Pele was like a maestro leading his orchestra. It was his 1977 autobiography, My Life and the Beautiful Game, that made the phrase part of the soccer lexicon. In 1975, he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. Although he was just past the prime of his youth at 34, Pele briefly gave football a higher profile in North America before ending his career on October 1, 1977, in an exhibition between Cosmos and Santos. Among the dignitaries at hand was perhaps the only other athlete whose fame extended all over the world – Muhammad Ali. insignificant Source link Related READ MORE HRH the Deputy King honours a number of senior BDF personnel
December 30, 2022 Creation time: 10:29 AM Last updated: 10:29 AM Views: 21 Sao Paulo, Dec. 30 (U.S.): Pele was simply “The King”. He embraced the ‘beautiful game of football’ in his 1958 World Cup debut for Brazil and never let go. He won three World Cups and was widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his sport. His imposing and motivating presence has made him among the most recognizable figures in the world. Pele passed away on Thursday at the age of 82. He was treated for colon cancer 20 years ago. Pele was among the game’s most prolific goalscorers and spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents. His agility, athleticism and movement at the highest level in football have astounded everyone. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style of play that revolutionized the sport – one that embodied Brazilian elegance on the court. He took his country to soccer heights and became a global ambassador for his sport with a journey that began in the streets of the state of São Paulo, kicking a sock stuffed with newspaper or rags, according to the Associated Press. “Pelé changed everything. He turned football into art and entertainment,” said Neymar, another Brazilian soccer player, on Instagram. “Football and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the king! He’s gone, but his magic will last. Eternal Pele! “ In talking about the greatest football player, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside him. Different sources, counting different combinations of games, list Pelé’s total goals as anywhere between 650 (league matches) to 1,281 (all senior matches, some against lower level competition). When Maradona interviewed Pele, he asked the Brazilian in a playful way how he had accumulated so many goals. The player who would be dubbed ‘The King’ was introduced to the world at the age of 17 at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the tournament’s youngest player ever. Pele was the emblem of his country’s victory in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. He scored in the final and set up an indifferent assist for Carlos Alberto for the final goal in a 4-1 win over Italy. The image of Pele in a bright yellow Brazilian jersey, with the number 10 stamped on the back, remains alive with football fans everywhere. As does his celebration of his trademark goal—a leap with a right fist raised high above his head. Pele’s fame was such that in 1967 the factions of Nigeria’s civil war agreed to a brief cease-fire so that he could play an exhibition match in the country. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II awarded him a knighthood in 1997. When Pele visited Washington to help popularize the game in North America, it was the President of the United States who reached out first. Ronald Reagan said, “You don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pele is.” Pele was Brazil’s first modern national hero, but he rarely spoke about racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to be descended from the white minority. Pele’s life after football took many forms. He was a politician – Brazil’s extraordinary sports minister – a wealthy businessman, and an ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations. He’s had roles in movies, TV series, and even songs and mixtapes of popular Brazilian music. Pele was an ambassador for his sport until his later years, but as his health deteriorated, his outings became less frequent. After he needed a hip replacement, he started using a cane. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, in the small town of Tres Curaco in the interior of Minas Gerais on October 23, 1940, Pele grew up in the gleaming shoes of buying modest soccer equipment. His father was also a player. Pele’s talent caught attention when he was 11 years old, and a local professional player brought him to Santos’ youth teams. Despite his young age and 5-foot-8 frame, Pele scored against grown men with the same ease he showed against his friends back home. He made his debut for the Brazilian club at the age of 15 in 1956, and the club quickly gained worldwide fame. The name Pele came from him mispronouncing the name of a player named Pele. He later became known simply as “O Rei” – The King. Pele went to the 1958 World Cup as a reserve but became a regular part of his country’s championship team. His first goal, in which he flicked the ball over the head of a defender and raced around to kick the ball into the net, was voted one of the best goals in World Cup history. The 1966 World Cup in England – won by the hosts – was bitter for Pele, who at that time was considered the best player in the world. Brazil were knocked out in the group stage and Pele, enraged by Portugal’s irregularities and hard moves, swore that this would be his last World Cup. He changed his mind and rejuvenated himself at the 1970 World Cup. In a match against England, he headed in a certain score, but great goalkeeper Gordon Banks turned the ball over the crossbar in a stunning move. Pele likened the save – one of the best in World Cup history – to “a salmon climbing a waterfall”. Later, he scored the opening goal in the final match against Italy, his last World Cup match. In all, Pele played 114 times for Brazil, scoring 95 goals – including 77 in official matches. Most of his goals have come with Santos, resulting in five national titles, two Copa Libertadores and two Club World Championships – all in the 1960s. His career with Santos spanned more than three decades until he entered semi-retirement after the 1972 season. Wealthy European clubs tried to sign him, but the Brazilian government intervened to prevent him from being sold, declaring him a national treasure. Fast and fluid gameplay like “O Jogo Bonito” – Portuguese for “The Beautiful Game”. And in the midst of it all, Pele was like a maestro leading his orchestra. It was his 1977 autobiography, My Life and the Beautiful Game, that made the phrase part of the soccer lexicon. In 1975, he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. Although he was just past the prime of his youth at 34, Pele briefly gave football a higher profile in North America before ending his career on October 1, 1977, in an exhibition between Cosmos and Santos. Among the dignitaries at hand was perhaps the only other athlete whose fame extended all over the world – Muhammad Ali. insignificant
