"Pele" redirects here. For the Hawaiian goddess, see Pele (deity). For other uses, see Pele (disambiguation).
"O Rei" redirects here. For the Portuguese footballer of the same nickname, see Eusébio.
This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Arantes and the second or paternal family name is Nascimento.
Pelé

Pelé in 1995
BornEdson Arantes do Nascimento
23 October 1940 (age 79)
Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Occupation

• Footballer
• Humanitarian

Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Spouse(s)

• Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi (m. 1966⁠–⁠1982)
• Assíria Lemos Seixas (m. 1994⁠–⁠2008)
• Marcia Aoki (m. 2016)

Partner(s)Xuxa Meneghel (1981–1986)
Children7
Parent(s)Dondinho, Celeste Arantes

Association football careerPlaying position(s)

• Forward
• Attacking midfielder

Youth career
1953–1956Bauru
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1956–1974Santos638(619)
1975–1977New York Cosmos56(31)
Total694(650)
National team
1957–1971Brazil92(77)
Honours[show]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
Websitepele10.com

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈɛtsõ (w)ɐˈɾɐ̃tʃiz du nɐsiˈmẽtu]; born 23 October 1940), known as Pelé ([peˈlɛ]), is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who played as a forward. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. In 1999, he was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century award. That same year, Pelé was elected Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee. According to the IFFHS, Pelé is the most successful domestic league goal-scorer in football history scoring 650 goals in 694 League matches, and in total 1281 goals in 1363 games, which included unofficial friendlies and is a Guinness World Record. During his playing days, Pelé was for a period the best-paid athlete in the world.

Pelé began playing for Santos at age 15 and the Brazil national team at 16. During his international career, he won three FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962 and 1970, being the only player ever to do so. Pelé is the all-time leading goalscorer for Brazil with 77 goals in 92 games. At club level he is the record goalscorer for Santos, and led them to the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores. Known for connecting the phrase "The Beautiful Game" with football, Pelé's "electrifying play and penchant for spectacular goals" made him a star around the world, and his teams toured internationally in order to take full advantage of his popularity. Since retiring in 1977, Pelé has been a worldwide ambassador for football and has made many acting and commercial ventures. In 2010, he was named the Honorary President of the New York Cosmos.

Averaging almost a goal per game throughout his career, Pelé was adept at striking the ball with either foot in addition to anticipating his opponents' movements on the field. While predominantly a striker, he could also drop deep and take on a playmaking role, providing assists with his vision and passing ability, and he would also use his dribbling skills to go past opponents. In Brazil, he is hailed as a national hero for his accomplishments in football and for his outspoken support of policies that improve the social conditions of the poor. Throughout his career and in his retirement, Pelé received several individual and team awards for his performance in the field, his record-breaking achievements, and legacy in the sport.