Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, was born on Oct. 21, 1940. However, according to the man himself, Pele insists he was born on the 23rd. And so the legend begins. Perhaps more important than when he was born, is where he was born. The son of a nation that has come to embody the very flair and essence of the game of soccer, the Brazilian is revered as the greatest soccer player of all time. In 1999, he was voted Football Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics. In that same year he was also crowned Athlete of the Century, by the International Olympic Committee.
Pele netted 1,281 goals throughout his career, and he was the driving force behind Brazil’s three World Cup victories in four finals appearances between 1958-1970. In celebration of the former Santos, Cosmos, and Brazil star’s 73rd birthday, we’ve highlighted some of the lesser-known details of Pele’s fabled career. Check out, 25 Things You Didn’t Know About Pele.
Written by Adam Silvers (@silversurfer103)