Little-known story -- The legendary life of Pele, the "King of the Ball"

Pele was called the king of the ball. What will the legendary footballer Pele be remembered for after his death?

Name: Pele

Birth name: Edson Arantes do Nascimento

Occupation: Football player

Date of Birth: October 23, 1940 (aged 82)

Birth place: Tres Coracoes, Brazil

Height: 173 cm

Weight: 67 kg

Zodiac sign: Libra

Oriental sign: Dragon

Pele's life

Pele, Brazil's "king of the ball," is a true legend of the sport and an icon to millions of fans around the world. All because he is a three-time world champion. Until the end of 2016, that record had never been broken. Pele has played for Santos in Brazil and New York Cosmos in the United States. According to the two influential clubs, Pele was the best player of the 20th century.

childhood

Pele was born in the Brazilian town of Trescoresonis on October 23, 1940. He was the oldest child in the family, and his parents had wanted to name him after the famous inventor Thomas Edison. But on Bailey's birth certificate, the letter "I" was omitted, and Edison became Edson -- hence the name. Pele got his nickname in elementary school -- in honor of his favorite player, Vasco da Gama Bilay. Pele's father was a professional soccer player at the time, but was forced to retire after an accident during a game. To support the family, the father got a job as a handyman at a local hospital, but at the same time, he did not forget his son, who taught Pele basic football skills.

In elementary school, Pele was well ahead of his peers in ball handling. However, this was not thanks to regular training at all - the young man had little time to hone his game as he was forced to shine shoes for extra money. Every time he saw the ball, his eyes lit up with enthusiasm, and he began to perform dazzling feints with his legs, mesmerizing passers-by. At the age of seven, Pele was recruited by the coach of the local youth team.

Football career

As a rookie, Pele did not lose his mind on the pitch. On the contrary, he showed great personality and soon started to play as a striker in the team. A few years later, the coach, Valdemar de Brito, changed Pele's life forever. "This boy is going to be the best football player on the planet," he said. It was he who recommended this unusual boy to the Santos Club, saying that he had a great understanding and could learn everything at once. At the age of 15, Pele, who had played for many teams and even futsal, signed his first professional contract and was named to Santos' first team. For Pele himself, and indeed for Santos Football Club, it is the beginning of a new era. A year later, Bailey was earning much more than his father, even though his father was the breadwinner. Pele with their own skills and field performance, completely become Santos team's master striker. Pele's first serious test of his football career came against the mighty Corinthians. But no one expected that Pele scored two goals in the game and the team won. As a result, Santos deservedly won the championship in 1956.

In nearly two decades at Santos, Pele helped the club win more than 20 trophies, was top scorer on several occasions and even once scored eight goals in one match - that was against another Brazilian powerhouse, Botafogo.

Pele thrilled his fans with World Cups in 1958, 1962 and 1970. In every game, he can play a key role. Although all the players trained the same way, no one could surpass Pele. Pele played for Santos for 19 years, 1,116 appearances, 1,091 goals, almost a goal per game, such goalscoring efficiency can only be described as "in form". Brazilians consider him a true hero and national symbol who took the game to a completely different level. With Pele in the team, Brazil is a professional team that can compete with the best football clubs in the world.

Over the years Pele has taken every training seriously and disciplined himself. He is a very professional player, unlike Diego Maradona. Bailey decided to take a break in the 70s and hang up his boots. Pele last played as a striker for Brazil in 1974, but he disappointed his fans this time. But in 1975, to everyone's surprise, Pele signed with New York Cosmos Football Club. He became the highest-paid footballer in the world at the time, with a salary of $1.4 million a year.

There are two versions of this: the wicked say that Bailey's financial advisers were dirty, or that money played a role; But many believe Pele, the greatest player of all time, played a role in popularizing the game on the North American continent. After all, Soccer, as it was called in the United States, was not popular in the new world. In fact, when Pele plays, stadiums in the United States are filled to capacity, with crowds 10 times larger than usual.

Farewell match

On October 1, 1977, an unprecedented event took place in the world of football when the two most important teams Pele had ever played for took the field in New York against each other: Santos, Pele's hometown team, and the New York Cosmos. The audience wondered -- which side would Pele choose? But the legend decided to do things his way: playing for Cosmos in the first half and Santos in the second. Pele scored the final goal of his career into the goal of Santos, his parent club of 19 years, for his 1,281st goal.

It's time to say goodbye! 77,000 people turned up to watch the farewell match. There are legends from all walks of life -- heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali, British rock singer Mick Jagger, American actor, director, screenwriter and producer Robert Redford, a host of world-class football stars...

When the final whistle sounded, the pitch went dark and rain fell on the heads of players and fans. Pele himself, forgetting the rituals inherent in a football match, burst into tears in the arms of a friend.

Bailey phenomenon

The best sports experts are still puzzling over the mystery of how a young man from a remote village, without a football school or regular training under the guidance of a professional, managed to achieve such remarkable results. The consensus, then, is that this football player has unique physical stats, but, most importantly, he really loves the game. He was practicing ball control, passing, catching, dribbling, passing, shooting, while his peers were hanging out and having fun!

In addition, experts say Pele has a wide eye and can read the game much better than other players. Everyone admired his amazing reflexes, his ability to analyse the situation on the field and make the right decision within seconds, his persistence in high-speed, intense training, his ability to shoot with both feet, his innate "scoring instinct"... Pele said of his success: "Football is not a 'star' game. It's a team game. We cannot win without the joint efforts of all."

A career after football

After leaving football, Pele signed a contract with Pepsi and started working with youth. In his spare time, he studies grammar in an ordinary high school. After graduation, Bailey didn't stop there, enrolling at New York College, where he eventually earned a certificate in economics. Bailey quickly caught the attention of directors. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including documentaries. For the most part, Bailey is a cameo -- playing himself. For Pele fans, "Pele the King", "The Price of Victory", "The Real Brazil", "This Is Pele", "Team of Gold", "Coach", "Pele Forever", "Martins Passion", "Hungary of Puskas"... They're all big movies starring their idols. In 1981, the military drama "Victory" was released, starring Pele alongside Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine. The film tells the story of forming a powerful football team in a prison camp. In 1986, Rick King made Bailey a key character in the TV series "Accurate Shots."

In the 2000s, the Brazilian government offered Pele the position of minister of youth and sports. Thanks to him, a law was passed that almost made football free of corruption. At the same time, he became an official goodwill ambassador and devoted himself to promoting healthy lifestyles. Pele also has his own brand, Cafe Pele, which he can boast of.

In 2016, Pele starred in the biographical drama Pele: The Birth of a Legend, which told viewers about his early years, hard training and long road to fame.

Bailey's personal life

In 1966, he married a girl named Rosemary. The couple lived together for 16 years before divorcing. Bailey became a father three times during the marriage. He had two daughters, Kelly (b. 1967) and Jennifer (b. 1978), and a son, Edson (b. 1970), who would later follow in his father's footsteps and also play for Santos as a goalkeeper. Unfortunately, he was unable to reach his father's heights and was sentenced to 33 years in prison for drug abuse.

The couple separated in 1978, shortly after Pele's last fight. In 1980, Bailey met Mariah Meneghel, a singer known as Shusha.

Bailey is married to psychologist Asilya Sheyshas, whom he married in 1994. During this marriage, the loving couple had twins, Joshua and Celesta. Pele became a frequent cheater (he even fathered illegitimate children with two girls: Flavia Cristina de Calvalo and Sandra), and divorce became inevitable. They ended their marriage for good in 2008.

Pele's new favorite is Marcia Aoki, 50, a Japanese-Brazilian entrepreneur. They met in the mid-1980s but, much to Bailey's regret, neither was free. A chance encounter in an elevator rekindled their love in 2010, and they haven't been apart since. Bailey, 75, attended his third wedding as a groom in July 2016. "He scored a hat-trick," joked Pele's fans.

The present Pele

In 2020, Pele underwent hip surgery. The rehabilitation process reportedly did not go according to plan, which is why Pele was barely able to move. His son said his father didn't want to go out and lived in near-isolation.

Pele, 80, was vaccinated against COVID-19 in March 2021. He said to his fans:

"Today was an unforgettable day -- I got vaccinated! The outbreak is not over. We have to be disciplined to save lives because so many people have not been vaccinated so far. Wash your hands frequently and stay home as much as possible."

In 2021, a documentary about Bailey was released on Netflix. The directors tried to show how Pele went from a rising soccer star to a national hero.

On August 31, 2021, Pele was hospitalized. During a routine checkup, a colon tumor was discovered on his body. The tumour was safely removed on 4 September and Pele thanked doctors on 6 September for their help and reassured fans. A few weeks later, his daughter said, his father was feeling well enough to start walking -- he used a special wheelchair after the surgery.