On December 29th, 2022, Pele passed away. The Brazilian superstar stands as the first legend of global football, securing three World Cups in his time at the top of the sport. Read on to learn about some of Pele’s best moments.
Pele’s Best Moments
The Brazilian’s First Contract
In the very earliest stages of his career, Pele spent his time playing a combination of indoor football and futsal. This was the domain in which the Brazilian built his skillset, reaching his innate potential through the complex challenges that a faster-paced game with a smaller ball introduced. From the age of just 14 he was playing futsal against adult teams, ending as the top scorer in one of the competitions that dared to initially exclude him due to his age.
When he reached the age of 15, Pele was taken to Santos by his youth coach at the time. Waldemar de Brito said from an early age that the youngster would be the greatest football player in the world. After impressing Santos coach Lula, the forward signed a professional contract with the club. It didn’t take long for the superstar’s name to find itself in lights.
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Pele’s Brazil Debut
You’d imagine that a sixteen-year-old would struggle to make any national team, let alone that of Brazil. However, Pele bucked this trend. It took just ten months after signing a professional contract to secure a place in the Brazil team, with the Santos striker scoring the most goals in the league that season.
There are few matches that will strike fear into a young Brazilian’s heart like a clash with Argentina.
However, Pele rose to the occasion. In spite of the side falling to a 2-1 defeat, the boy put himself on the scoresheet and became the youngest player in Brazil’s history to score for the national team, a record that remains unbroken to this day.
The 1958 World Cup
The 1958 World Cup was Pele’s opportunity to announce himself on the world stage, and was one of the greatest moments of the superstar’s career. The very start of the competition featured some controversy after the wonderkid nearly missed out on a place in the squad due to a knee injury. Brazil’s entire squad rallied around him in a moment that is sure to be defining in his development.
His first match, which saw him become the youngest World Cup player ever, saw him secure an assist, before Pele put away a hat-trick against France. Again, the youngest to ever do so.
The World Cup final was an even greater moment, with the young record-breaker scoring twice against Sweden. He passed out in his iconic number 10 shirt after the final whistle, brought back to consciousness by Garrincha before celebrating the historic victory with the rest of his team.
Choosing Santos
The majority of European football fans remember nothing of Pele’s career moments at a domestic level. This is primarily thanks to the decisions that the young Brazilian made in the summer of 1958. Clubs such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus fought over Pele, with Inter Milan and Valencia even securing contracts for the breakout star.
He didn’t go.
Santos declined a transfer to Valencia after Pele’s incredible World Cup performance, with his fully agreed Inter Milan contract being torn up after a full-on revolt from the fans. O Rei is primarily seen as a one-club legend for all of the decisions he made that summer.
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Copa Libertadores
A lot of Pele’s career moments are identical to milestones in Santos’ growth as a club. In the early 1960s, Santos had never won the Libertadores and secured themselves a place in history as one of the best sides on the continent. They’d never had Pele before.
The club cruised through the initial group stage, facing Universidad Catolica in the semi-finals. Yet another win for the Brazilians that put them through to a three-match final against the Uruguayan Penarol, with Pele scoring a brace in the final match of the tournament to secure the title. After this win, it took just a year to secure the title again, with the forward now comfortably recognised as the best footballer on the planet.
The 1962 World Cup
After securing Brazil’s first-ever World Cup victory in 1958, it would be rude to not do so again in 1962. The first match of the tournament against Mexico was an incredible one for Pele, seeing him assist the team’s first goal and score a second.
However, the tournament wasn’t going to stay as bright as his first with the Selecao. He suffered an injury in the second match of the tournament that kept him out of the rest of the World Cup. In spite of effectively winning the match against Mexico for Brazil, Pele’s lack of an appearance in the final meant that he wasn’t eligible for a medal. FIFA rectified this in 2007, completing the striker’s collection.
Peace in Nigeria
When many people think about Pele’s best moments, bringing peace to one of Africa’s largest nations doesn’t tend to make the list. In 1969, the Brazilian was due to play an exhibition match in Lagos, Nigeria. However, there was a civil war in the state at the time.
Both sides of the conflict came to an agreement to stop hostilities for a 48-hour period, allowing people to watch the biggest star in world football in their homeland. Although the war raged on for another year after the match, Pele’s brace in this match was a welcome respite from the conflict for many struggling throughout the war.
The 1970 World Cup
The World Cup in 1970 was Pele’s final chance to secure an international trophy. Brazil’s finest player had retired from international football after disappointment in 1966, before being drawn back into the fold, enticed by the chance for one last winner’s medal.
As the final tournament with the original Jules Rimet trophy, the winner got to keep it. Pele made sure that it was put on display in Rio de Janeiro. In spite of his reluctance to return, the striker scored four goals throughout the tournament and brought the trophy home to Brazil, making Pele the only player to ever win three World Cups.
A Finale Fit for The King
Pele’s final match took place in 1977, retiring with an exhibition match between the New York Cosmos (his club for the twilight years of his career) and Santos. Switching from the Cosmos to Santos at half-time, Pele’s 30-yard free-kick secured the victory for the American side. A bout of rain towards the end of the match prompted a famous headline; “Even the Sky Was Crying”.
Deciding Pele’s Best Moments
Everyone has their own memories of Pele, and their own pick from Pele’s best moments. The comment section below is open to commemorate and celebrate the life of football’s first real megastar. A true innovator of the game, he was the first of his kind. Pele will never be forgotten.
