Samba-like flair, Pelé’s mesmerising moves transfixed players and fans
Sao Paulo: Pelé, the Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died on Thursday, December 29. He was 82, a report in The Tribune, Chandigarh
The standard-bearer of “the beautiful game” had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021.
He had been hospitalised for the last month with multiple ailments. His agent Joe Fraga confirmed his death.
Pele Highlights
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in Tres Coracoes on October 23, 1940, Pelé grew up shining shoes to buy his modest soccer gear
Pelé’s talent drew attention when he was 11, and a local professional player brought him to Santos’ youth squads.
Was knighted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.
He visited Washington to help popularise the game in North America. It was the US President who stuck out his hand first. “My name is Ronald Reagan, I’m the president of the United States of America. But you don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pelé is,” the host said.
Widely regarded as one of soccer’s greatest players, Pelé spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents as the game’s most prolific scorer with Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team.
He orchestrated a fast, fluid style that revolutionised the sport — a samba-like flair that personified his country’s elegance on the field.
He became a global ambassador for his sport in a journey that began on the streets of Sao Paulo state, where he would kick a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags. Only the late Diego Maradona, together with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside Pelé.
The player who would be dubbed “The King” was introduced to the world at age 17 at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the youngest player ever at the tournament. He was carried off the field on teammates’ shoulders after scoring two goals in Brazil’s 5-2 victory over the host country in the final.
Injury limited him to just two games when Brazil retained the world title in 1962, but Pelé was the emblem of his country’s World Cup triumph of 1970 in Mexico. He scored in the final and set up Carlos Alberto with a nonchalant pass for the last goal in a 4-1 victory over Italy.
The image of Pelé in a bright, yellow Brazil jersey with the No. 10 stamped on the back remains alive with soccer fans everywhere. As does his trademark goal celebration — a leap with a right fist thrust high above his head.
Pelé was Brazil’s first modern Black national hero but rarely spoke about racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to hail from the white minority. Opposing fans taunted Pelé with monkey chants at home and all over the world.
After soccer Pele took on many roles He was a politician —Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport — a wealthy businessman and an ambassador for UNESCO and the UN. He had roles in movies, soap operas and even composed songs and recorded CDs of popular Brazilian music.
As his health deteriorated, his travels and appearances became less frequent. He was often seen in a wheelchair during his final years and did not attend a ceremony to unveil a statue of him representing Brazil’s 1970 World Cup team. Pelé spent his 80th birthday isolated with a few family members at a beach home.
******************************************************************
Readers
These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.
Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world. We have taken the small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.
Please help us to keep our journalism independent and free.
In these difficult times, to run a news website requires finances. While every contribution, big or small, will makes a difference, we request our readers to put us in touch with advertisers worldwide. It will be a great help.
For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com