The wiki · 1940–2022

Pelé

Edson Arantes do Nascimento · O Rei

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940–2022), the Brazilian forward who won three World Cups, widely ranked the greatest of all time.

Read his life The story in chapters

Pelé
Photo: Joop van Bilsen for Anefo (Nationaal Archief), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (source)
World Cups won
3the only player with three
goals for Brazil
77in 92 matches
goals for Santos
6431956–1974
goals for the Cosmos
371975–1977

How many goals did he score? It depends on what you count, and the figure is disputed. Counting friendlies and exhibitions, Guinness World Records credits him with 1,279 goals in 1,363 matches, FIFA uses 1,281, and Pelé himself claimed 1,283. The full answer

His life, in chapters

Every chapter →
  1. 11940–1956Childhood in Três Corações and BauruEdson Arantes do Nascimento grew up poor in Bauru, learning football from his father with a ball made of rags.
  2. 21956–1958Santos: discovery and debut (1956–1957)At 15 Pelé joined Santos, scored on his debut, and within a year was the top scorer in São Paulo and playing for Brazil.
  3. 31958Sweden 1958A 17-year-old Pelé scored six goals, including two in the final, as Brazil won the World Cup for the first time.
  4. 41959–1966The peak years at Santos (1959–1965)With Pelé at his peak, Santos became club champions of South America and of the world, twice each.
  5. 51962Chile 1962: the injuryPelé went to Chile as the world's best player but was injured in the second match; Brazil won the World Cup without him.
  6. 61966England 1966Fouled out of two of Brazil's three matches, Pelé saw the holders go out in the first round and vowed never to play another World Cup.
  7. 71969The 1,000th goal (1969)On 19 November 1969 Pelé scored his 1,000th goal by the count of the time, a penalty at the Maracanã that stopped the country.
  8. 81970Mexico 1970In his fourth and last World Cup, Pelé led one of the finest teams ever assembled to Brazil's third title.
  9. 91971–1974Leaving Brazil and Santos (1971–1974)Pelé said goodbye to the national team in 1971 and to Santos in 1974, and turned down a return for the 1974 World Cup.
  10. 101975–1977New York Cosmos (1975–1977)Pelé came out of retirement to play for the New York Cosmos, drew huge crowds, and finished with the 1977 NASL title.
  11. 111977–2021After footballAfter retiring, Pelé acted, wrote, represented the UN and UNESCO, and served as Brazil's first Minister of Sport.
  12. 122021–2023Illness, death and legacyPelé died of colon cancer in December 2022 at 82; more than 230,000 people filed past his coffin in Santos.

Four World Cups

Every tournament →
1958Sweden★ Champions6 goals in 4 matches1962Chile★ Champions1 goal in 2 matches1966EnglandGroup stage1 goal in 2 matches1970Mexico★ Champions4 goals in 6 matches

Matches that mattered

Every match →
FIFA World Cup 1958 · Quarter-finalBrazil 1–0 WalesUlleviwon19Jun1958FIFA World Cup 1958 · Semi-finalBrazil 5–2 FranceRåsunda Stadiumwon24Jun1958FIFA World Cup 1958 · FinalBrazil 5–2 SwedenRåsunda Stadiumwon29Jun1958Intercontinental Cup 1962 · Intercontinental Cup, second legSantos 5–2 BenficaEstádio da Luz (1954)won11Oct1962FIFA World Cup 1970 · Semi-finalBrazil 3–1 UruguayEstadio Jaliscowon17Jun1970FIFA World Cup 1970 · FinalBrazil 4–1 ItalyEstadio Aztecawon21Jun1970

The goals, and the ones that got away

Every goal →
1956Santos 7–1 Corinthians de Santo André7 September 1956His first senior goalThe first goal of Pelé's senior career, scored for Santos at 15 in a friendly against Corinthians de Santo André.66′Brazil 1–0 Wales19 June 1958His first World Cup goalThe only goal of the 1958 quarter-final against Wales, which made Pelé the youngest World Cup scorer to that date.55′Brazil 5–2 Sweden29 June 1958The volley in the 1958 finalPelé's first goal in the 1958 final: he lifted the ball over a defender and volleyed it in, at 17.90′Brazil 5–2 Sweden29 June 1958The header that closed the 1958 finalPelé's second goal in the 1958 final, a header in the last minute that made the score 5–2.1961Santos 3–1 Fluminense5 March 1961The gol de placaPelé's solo goal against Fluminense at the Maracanã in 1961, which gave Brazil the phrase gol de placa.1969Santos 2–1 Vasco da Gama19 November 1969The 1,000th goalThe penalty against Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã on 19 November 1969 counted as Pelé's 1,000th goal.1970Brazil 4–1 Czechoslovakia3 June 1970No goalThe shot from his own halfPelé's attempt to lob the Czechoslovak goalkeeper from his own half in 1970, which went just wide.1970Brazil 1–0 England7 June 1970No goalThe header Gordon Banks savedPelé's header against England in 1970, stopped by Gordon Banks in what is often called the save of the century.1970Brazil 3–1 Uruguay17 June 1970No goalThe dummy on MazurkiewiczPelé's run around Uruguay's goalkeeper in the 1970 semi-final, without touching the ball, which ended with a shot just wide.18′Brazil 4–1 Italy21 June 1970The header in the 1970 finalPelé's header that opened the scoring in the 1970 final, Brazil's 100th World Cup goal.1977New York Cosmos 2–1 Santos1 October 1977The last goal of his careerThe free kick Pelé scored for the Cosmos against Santos in his farewell match, the last goal of his career.

The trophy cabinet

Every honour →

World Cups

Individual awards

The people around him

Everyone →

His teams

Every team →
Bauru Atlético Clube1953–1956Santos FC1956–1974643 goals in 659 matchesBrazil1957–197177 goals in 92 matchesNew York Cosmos1975–197737 goals in 64 matches

Questions people ask

Every question →

What was Pelé's real name?

Pelé's real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento. His parents named him after the inventor Thomas Edison, though his birth certificate spelled it "Edison".

Why was he called Pelé?

Nobody knows for certain. Pelé himself thought the nickname came from his childhood mispronunciation of Bilé, a goalkeeper at Vasco da Gama.

How many goals did Pelé score?

It depends on what you count, and the figure is disputed. Counting friendlies and exhibitions, Guinness World Records credits him with 1,279 goals in 1,363 matches, FIFA uses 1,281, and Pelé himself claimed 1,283.

How many World Cups did Pelé win?

Pelé won three World Cups, in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and is the only player to have done so. He played in four, also appearing in 1966, and scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches.

Which clubs did Pelé play for?

Pelé played professionally for only two clubs: Santos in Brazil, from 1956 to 1974, and the New York Cosmos in the United States, from 1975 to 1977. As a boy he played for the junior team of Bauru Atlético Clube.

Did Pelé ever play in Europe?

No, Pelé never played for a European club. Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United and Inter Milan all tried to sign him, and in 1961 Brazil's government declared him a national treasure to keep him at home.

What shirt number did Pelé wear?

Pelé wore the number 10, for Santos, Brazil and the Cosmos. He first wore it at the 1958 World Cup: by the usual account, Brazil's federation sent its squad list without numbers, and FIFA assigned them, giving the 10 to Pelé more or less by chance.

When and how did Pelé die?

Pelé died on 29 December 2022, aged 82, at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in São Paulo. The cause was multiple organ failure as a complication of colon cancer, diagnosed in 2021.

On screen and in print

Every film and book →