Pelé

Pelé was married three times and had seven children. In 1966, he married Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi, with whom he had three children: Kelly Cristina, Edson, and Jennifer. Their son Edson, known as Edinho, later played as a goalkeeper for Santos. The marriage ended in divorce in 1982. In 1994, Pelé married psychologist and gospel singer Assíria Lemos Seixas, and the couple had twins, Joshua and Celeste, before divorcing in 2008. In 2016, he married businesswoman Marcia Aoki, who remained his wife until his death. Pelé also had two daughters from earlier relationships, Sandra Arantes do Nascimento and Flávia Christina Kurtz.

In his later years, Pelé faced a series of health complications, including hip surgery and mobility limitations. He was diagnosed with colon cancer and died on December 29, 2022, in São Paulo at the age of 82.

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Pelé grew up in poverty in Bauru, São Paulo. He was the son of João Ramos do Nascimento, a professional footballer known as Dondinho, and Celeste Arantes. Inspired by his father, who taught him core football skills, Pelé practiced in the streets barefoot using makeshift balls fashioned from socks, rags, or fruit. To help support his family, he worked odd jobs, including selling roasted peanuts and serving as a shoemaker's apprentice.

While playing for local youth teams in Bauru, Pelé acquired his famous nickname, derived from his childhood mispronunciation of Bilé, a goalkeeper his father had played alongside. His extraordinary talent caught the attention of former Brazilian international player Waldemar de Brito, who coached him at Bauru Athletic Club. Recognizing his exceptional potential, de Brito brought the 15-year-old prodigy to Santos Football Club in 1956 for a professional tryout.

Pelé made his senior debut for Santos FC in September 1956 and quickly became the team's primary offensive weapon. Leading the club through its most successful era, he helped Santos capture numerous domestic and international honors, including five consecutive Taça Brasil titles between 1961 and 1965, two Copa Libertadores championships in 1962 and 1963, and two Intercontinental Cups. European clubs attempted to purchase his contract, prompting the Brazilian government to declare him a non-exportable national treasure to keep him in the country.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Santos embarked on lucrative global exhibition tours across Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America to showcase Pelé. In November 1969, Pelé scored his milestone 1,000th career first-class goal in a match against Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, an event commemorated with national celebration and a dedicated Brazilian postage stamp.

Pelé stepped away from Santos in 1974 but came out of retirement in 1975 to sign a three-year, $7 million contract with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL). His presence drew record-setting crowds and catalyzed the growth of soccer across the United States. He concluded his competitive career in 1977 after leading the Cosmos to the NASL championship, playing his final match in front of 76,000 fans in an exhibition split between the Cosmos and Santos.

Pelé debuted for the Brazilian national team in 1957 at age 16, scoring against Argentina. The following year, at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the 17-year-old scored a decisive quarterfinal goal against Wales, a hat trick against France in the semifinals, and two goals against Sweden in the final to secure Brazil's first World Cup title. He remains the youngest player to score and win in a men's World Cup final.

At the 1962 World Cup in Chile, Pelé suffered a severe muscle injury in the second match, leaving his teammate Garrincha to lead Brazil to its second straight title. The 1966 tournament in England ended in frustration when aggressive tackling injured Pelé and eliminated Brazil in the group stage. He returned for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, leading a revered squad that included Jairzinho and Rivelino. Pelé scored four goals in the tournament, including the opening goal in Brazil's 4-1 victory over Italy in the final, earning Brazil permanent possession of the Jules Rimet Trophy.

Following his retirement from active play, Pelé served as an international goodwill ambassador for soccer and humanitarian causes. He was appointed a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment in 1992 and later served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. From 1995 to 1999, he served as Brazil's Extraordinary Minister of Sports under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso.

Pelé received numerous global accolades throughout his life. In 1997, he was awarded an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named him Athlete of the Century, and in 2000, FIFA jointly named Pelé and Argentine legend Diego Maradona as the FIFA Players of the Century. Beyond sports, he appeared in films, notably starring alongside Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone in the 1981 feature Victory, and authored several autobiographies reflecting on his career and the evolution of the sport.