Pele

When we think of football, we think of Pelé! This football legend played professionally in Brazil for 20 years (and later in New York), helped his country win three World Cups and is considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time. Learn a little about his life and career and then enjoy our collection of colouring pages, worksheets and printables with the kids.

Fun Facts:

• In his early years, Pelé honed his skills on the streets of Bauru with a football made of a sock stuffed with newspaper, or a grapefruit!
• It is said that, during the Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s, the two sides agreed a 48-hour ceasefire so that they could watch Pelé play an exhibition match in the capital, Lagos!
• Pelé's final game was an exhibition match between his two teams, the New York cosmos and Santos, in 1977. He played for both sides!
• This incredible footballe scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games over his career.
• Pelé composed the entire soundtrack of the movie, "Pelé", released in 1977.
• Pelé nickname as a boy was "Dico". It is thought that his friends started to call him Pelé because his favourite footballer was Vasco da Gama ‘Bile’, and that he had mispronounced his surname. Apparently he hated the new nickname at first - he said it sounded like babytalk in Portuguese.
• Pelé became the youngest player ever to score an international goal in a match against Argentina in 1957 - his first international game. He was also the youngest player to score a goal in a World Cup, the youngest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup, and the youngest player in a final of the World Cup!

Pelé Quotes:

"Everything is practice."

"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."

A Short Biography of Pelé

Edison Arantes do Nascimento was born in 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil, moving as a young boy to Bauru. His father was a would-be, struggling soccer player, and Pelé grew up in poverty. He practised his soccer skills with friends, using a home-made football in the streets of the city. While a child he earned the nickname Pelé.

Aged 11 Pelé joined a youth squad coached by an ex-Brazil player. When he was 15 his coach took him to try out for Santos, a professional Brazilian football club, telling the club "This boy will be the greatest soccer player in the world". He was signed up immediately, and scored his first professional goal before he even turned 16 years old! He was soon recruited into the Brazilian national team, too.

Pelé was average-sized but had speed, balance and vision. He had extraordinary control of the ball and was able to shoot powerfully with either foot. And his headers were legendary!

Pelé first came to international attention in the 1958 World Cup, when the 17 year old stunned the world with 3 goals in the semi-final and 2 goals in the finals, helping Brazil win the competition.

Pelé became hot property! Eventually the President of Brazil declared him a "national treasure" so that it would be harder for European clubs to entice him away!

Pelé played in 2 further World Cups, in 1962 and 1966, but in both was injured (possibly intentionally in 1966) and forced to sit out. In 1970 he was back on form and, with a great team alongside him, led Brazil to another victory. He retired in 1974, but was enticed briefly back into the soccer world by the New York Cosmos in 1976, helping to increase the popularity of the sport in America.

Pelé's eventual retirement in 1977 didn't slow him down! He was a Goodwill Ambassador with UNICEF, a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment, and Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport.

In 1999 Pelé was named FIFA's "Co-Player of the Century", a title he shared with the Argentinian Diego Maradona. He was also named "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee. It was a fitting recognition for this outstanding football player and inspirational man.

Pelé died in December 2022, aged 82. 

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