Pelé
Details
- Also Known As:
- Black Pearl, Peté
- Date of Birth:
- October 23, 1940
- Height:
- 5' 8"
- Hometown:
- Três Corações
Bio:
Pelé (born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on Oct 23, 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil) is a retired Brazilian professional soccer player and considered one of the greatest soccer players ever to play the game. Pelé was born to footballer João Ramos do Nascimento who was also a professional soccer player. Pelé was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison. He was taught the sport of soccer by his father and they were too poor to buy him a real ball so he played with fruit or stuffed socks. Pelé began seeing success in 1954 as a soccer player winning three consecutive São Paulo state youth championships. He went on to win almost every title possible in the world of soccer including: 3 FIFA World Cups, 2 Roca Cups, 3 Cruz Cups and many top scorer and best player awards.
Best Known For:
Pelé is best known as a one of the best soccer players to ever play the game.
Personal Life:
Pelé has been married three time and has 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. In 2016, he married Marcia Aoki. After his life in soccer, Pelé has devoted his time to charity and philanthropic endeavors. His work as a humanitarian has brought him to do work for UNICEF and he was also appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. He is also the subject of films, books, music and TV shows. Pelé also has starred in several films. In 2016, he lit the torch for the Rio Olympics in Brazil.