SUMMARY
- Every age has seen a succession of people hold the title of 'King of Football' as time has gone on.
- The Brazilian soccer star Pele would be referred to as the 'King of Football' in our era if we were to choose a title for him.
Over the years, a lot of elite players have entered the game since the inception of modern soccer. Every age has seen a succession of people hold the title of “King of Football” as time has gone on. There is a new soccer king in every period. The Brazilian soccer star Pele would be referred to as the “King of Football” in our era if we were to choose a title for him.
With 1363 games played and 1281 goals scored, Pele is the undisputed soccer king. Because goals scored in friendly matches are not counted, Pele is ranked second among players with the highest number of goals in soccer history with a total of 757 official goals.
Without Googling, I can name one famous Brazilian, and that would be Pelé. Arguably the greatest footballer of all time, Pelé’s skill, speed, and charisma made him a national hero in Brazil and a global icon.
His remarkable career included winning three FIFA World Cups with the… pic.twitter.com/bHUmpA3oVP— Gabriela Nogueira (@gabinogueira1) January 14, 2024
Although Cristiano Ronaldo presently holds the record for most goals scored, Pele never allowed his supporters to forget where he stood. The fact that his Instagram bio states, “Leading Goal scorer of all time,” serves as a constant reminder that he is a true soccer legend.
It is important to understand that Pele is unique among great soccer players and legends, such as Messi, Ronaldo, and Maradona, due to his accomplishments on the international scene. He has always had an unbridled, intriguing skill and the capacity to score goals. In addition to his extraordinary talent, he has three FIFA World Cup victories (1958, 1962, and 1970).
Pele is without a doubt the greatest soccer player of all time. According to a well-known saying, “Kings are not born, they are made.” This saying perfectly captures Pele, who emerged from a lowly beginning and overcame all challenges to become the true soccer legend—not just of his generation, but of all time.
Pele’s career as a professional soccer player
Club Career:
On October 23, 1940, Pele was born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He began playing soccer barefoot in the streets of Bauru, a city in the state of São Paulo, where he was raised in poverty. Playing for other amateur teams, such as Sete de Setembro and Ameriquinha, helped him hone his skills.
When Pele was fifteen years old, Waldemar de Brito, a former member of the Brazilian national team, noticed him. Impressed by his abilities, de Brito suggested Pele to Santos FC, a significant Brazilian soccer team. When Pele joined Santos in 1956, he made a name for himself as one of the nation’s most promising young players.
At the age of sixteen, he made his debut in professional soccer with Santos in 1956, and he was instrumental in the team’s first Campeonato Paulista victory—a significant state title in Brazil. The most prominent club tournament in South America, the Copa Libertadores, was won by Santos for the first time in its history in 1958 thanks to Pele’s assistance.
🇧🇷 Pelé’s Career Stats
Pele extraordinarily scored 127 goals for Santos in one calendar year: 1959.#FIFAWorldCup|#Pele|#BRA pic.twitter.com/FmA8u6fLcO
— FIFA World Cup Stats (@alimo_philip) December 29, 2022
In addition, he scored both goals in Santos’ 2-1 triumph over AC Milan in the Intercontinental Cup that same season, which was greatly important to the team. During the 1960s, Pele kept leading Santos to glory, winning multiple national and international championships, including two Intercontinental Cups, two more Copa Libertadores, and six Campeonato Brasileiro Série A titles.
Pele made the NASL popular by signing a $7 million contract for the New York Cosmos in 1975. During his three seasons there, he made 107 appearances and scored 66 goals. There, in 1977, he emerged victorious in the North American Soccer League and announced his retirement at the season’s conclusion.
International Career:
In 1957, Pele made his debut for his country, playing in a 1-2 loss at the Maracana against Argentina at the age of 16. At 16 years and 9 months, he became the youngest goal scorer for Brazil with his goal in his debut. He went on to achieve three World Cup victories during his incredibly successful international career.
He was a vital member of Brazil’s 1958 World Cup-winning team, scoring two goals against Sweden in the championship match and six goals overall. Due to injuries, Pele only participated in two of Brazil’s World Cup victories in 1962, but he still succeeded in netting a goal.
Pele made his Brazil debut on this day in 1957 🇧🇷
What a career he had 💪 pic.twitter.com/W5plJ2g0xS
— GOAL (@goal) July 5, 2020
Pelé had multiple injuries as a result of harsh challenges at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, making it a disastrous tournament for both Brazil and the star player. In the group stage, Brazil was eliminated and faced a lot of harsh criticism from the people back then.
1970 saw Pele make a comeback to the World Cup, this time teaming up with up-and-coming talents like Jairzinho and Rivelino to win Brazil’s third World Cup. With 12 goals in 14 games, Pelé concluded his World Cup campaign. Before quitting playing internationally in 1971, Pele had 77 goals in 92 games for the Brazilian national team.
Throughout his career, Pele engaged in a variety of business endeavors, such as sports advertising and marketing. In addition, he served as the United Nations ambassador for ecology and sustainability from 1992 to 2007. In 2007, he was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
Pele gave himself a better ranking than all the other soccer stars
Pele said that no one would ever be like him and gave himself a very high rating. He continues to this day to be regarded as the greatest soccer player to have ever played the game, earning the title of “The King of Football” from fans worldwide. He passed away on December 29, 2022, and he is still considered the greatest player in the history of the game.
Pele has always had faith in his skills and ability as a soccer player. The news outlet GOAL asked him to select the all-time greats, and he omitted Diego Maradona from his list. Pele responded as follows when questioned why he did so and if he was superior to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo:
“Pelé is the greatest player in football history, and there will only be one @Pele in the world.” – Cristiano Ronaldo
Back In Stock – only at https://t.co/KeFVFt0Llv.#RootsofFight #KnowYourRoots https://t.co/bR6gnG4va0 pic.twitter.com/90HZrs4eej
— Roots Of Fight (@rootsoffight) August 8, 2022
“That’s a tough question to answer as I’ve been asked many times. We mustn’t forget Zico and Ronaldinho. People always talk about European players like [Franz] Beckenbauer and [Johan] Cruyff,” said Pele. He further claimed, “It’s not my fault, but I think I was better than all of them, there will only be one Pele and there won’t be anyone else like me.”
Messi is the winner of every major soccer prize, notably the World Cup. There will always be disagreements over who the best player in history is in the sport. However, it’s safe to assume that Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Pele will always come up in that discussion.